A Raven's Sage
by theQuietSage
Summary: During his final clash with Sasuke, Naruto is thrown into the dimensional void. To save his partner, Kurama manages to open a portal to a dimension frozen in time. - Raven was not having a good birthday. Having accidentally frozen time and being chased by Robin's resurrected foe, an unexpected ally appears. Will he be able to help her stop her father?
1. Chapter 1 - A Fox Stuck in Time

**Authors Note: In this fic, the only changes from cannon Naruto is that he still has his original half of Kurama. How that works, figure it out yourself. I just feel like it would be a waste for them to finally get along, only for Kurama to be replaced with his other half. Don't like it, then go read something else.**

**As much as I wish otherwise, I do not own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

**_"_HANG IN THERE BRAT! DON'T YOU DIE ON ME!_"_**

Deep within a seemingly endless void, Kurama was desperately pumping every scrap of chakra he had left into his host. After finally sealing Kaguya, that damn Uchiha brat had betrayed them. Somehow, the vast amounts of energy released from Naruto's Rasengan and Sasuke's Chidori colliding had created a rip in space and time, throwing Naruto into a space between dimensions. Unfortunately, this plane of existence was literally trying to tear them apart. Searching desperately for a way out, the monolithic fox sensed a distortion in the space time plane caused by some sort temporal disruption. Channeling his last bit of Chakra, Kurama was able to create a tear just large enough for them to pass through, barely keeping it open until they were through.

* * *

**_'… p … ke up… WAKE UP!'_**

"GAH!" Naruto flailed, attempting to jump to a defensive position. However, as he attempted to brace himself on his nonexistent right arm, it looked much more like a flailing fish than the trained warrior he was. Groaning, he managed to sit up, glaring at the missing limb, and look around at the strange buildings.

_'Oi, Where the hell are we!?'_

**_'How should I know! You're the idiot that blasted us into the dimensional void! Do you know how much energy it took to just keep us alive, not to mention open a portal into another dimension?'_**

_'Hey! It's not like I told the teme to go crazy!'_

**_'Tsk, he was always crazy. All Uchihas are.'_**

_'Hey, Itatchi wasn't so bad.'_

**_'He killed his entire family in one night.'_** The fox deadpanned.

'…_Point taken. So, we're in another dimension, we have no idea how to get home, and I'm missing an arm. Am I missing anything?'_

**_'Besides the fact that time seems to be frozen, no.'_**

_'Oh, and time's frozen. Cool.' _Honestly, after everything that just happened, time breaking didn't seem that strange anymore. _'So, what no-' _He was cut off by a purple blur shooting past his alley, followed closely behind by another, this time black and orange, blur. _'The hell was that!'_

* * *

Raven was not having a good birthday. Instead of being able to enjoy the party that her friends had set up, a gesture that she secretly enjoyed but would never tell them, she was being chased by Robin's apparently undead arch foe. And that wasn't even the worst part! He hadn't been revived by just anyone, oh no. Trigon, her (quite literally) demon of a father, had brought him back to mark her as his portal. After Slade had separated her from Robin at the church, she'd been desperately trying to escape him.

Flying out from between the buildings she'd flown through to escape his arms of fire, she yells her mantra: "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Using most of her remaining energy, she slammed the two buildings together in an attempt to stop him. Looking at the dust billowing out, she sighed in relief, only to jerk up in surprise as Slade burst from them in an explosion. She gasped as he tackled her, and barely had any time to brace herself as they crashed on top of a tower.

She struggled to her feet and tried to run again, only for Slade to snag her by her cowl, ripping it off: "What you have concealed you shall become!" He exclaims as she fell down, revealing more runes on her now exposed back. "You have no other choice!"

"NO!" She charges at him, desperately channeling her remaining energy around her to hopefully drive him back. However, he effortlessly caught her hand, dispelling the claw of black energy.

"The message will be delivered." Slade hissed, grabbing her other arm. "Your destiny shall be fulfilled."

Struggling against his grip, Raven groaned in pain as the glowing red runes covered the rest of her body, ripping most of her clothes. Red energy beamed from her eyes as the sun and moon rapidly switched places while her hair grew out. Once completed, Slade released his grip, allowing her to collapse to her knees in exhaustion. She looked around, only to discover that the city had become apocalyptic ruins, surrounded by a sea lava. Off in the distance, she could see the ruins of Titans Tower, and around the city, everyone, including her friends had been turned to stone. _"NO!"_ She gasped, horrified.

"Yes" Slade dragged out. "Look at it. Drink it in. Behold the world you are destined to create." Raven could only stare in disbelief as Trigon's rose, releasing a deafening roar.

Grabbing her head in pain, she tried to block it all out. "NO! I won't do it! This is just a vision! This can't be real!"

She flinched as she felt a metallic grip on her shoulders. "This is the future. Your future. It began the day you were born, and nothing can stop it." He stated in her ear. "This will come to pass. I will make sure of it. You're going to destroy the world Raven. It's written all over yo-"

"_Konoha Senpū!" _Slade was interrupted as a sandaled foot slammed into his face, driving him away from Raven. The new arrival steadied her with his good left arm, not noticing the small spark of black energy that passed between them at the contact.

"Hey, are you ok?" Raven heard as she turned to face the man. She jerked back, startled by his appearance. He looked like he'd just been through a damn war-zone! His pants and chain-mail shirt were in tatters, his face looked like Mammoth had repeatedly jumped on it, and he was missing an arm! God, it was still leaking blood!

Noticing her reaction, Naruto rushed to reassure her. "Hey, it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." After the blurs had rushed past, he'd gone to investigate, wondering just what the hell was moving when time was frozen. When Kurama had informed him that they were both using demonic energy, even if hers was suppressed, he decided to just watch. Don't get him wrong, he wasn't weary of the girl. With his negative emotion sensing, he could tell she wasn't evil. However, he barely had a fresh gennin's worth of chakra and didn't think he'd be much use in a large scale fight. His belief had seemed justified as he watched her slam two flippin' buildings together. However, when the masked man started ripping her clothes off- Seriously, another one-eyed masked man!- he decided to intervene anyway. Using what little chakra he had left, he'd scaled the tower to find the man grabbing her from behind. Borrowing a move from Bushy Brows, he'd kicked him away.

"You're not going to hurt me?! What about you! How are you even standing!" Raven uncharacteristically shouted in disbelief, having momentarily forgotten about Slade. With everything that had happened, she found it impossible to maintain her usual control over her emotions. "What in Azarath happened to you!"

"Heh, well it's kind of a long story." He chucked nervously, scratching the back of his head with his hand. "Can we talk about it after dealing with the zombie dude?"

Upon hearing the word 'dude', despite everything, she had to resist the urge to face-palm. '_Not another Beast-Boy. Please, I can't handle two of them._' She shook her head. '_Focus, Slade's getting back up._'

"Yo Zombie man! I'm gonna have to ask you to leave the cute girl alone!"

'_Cute!_' Even as her eyebrow twitched, Raven felt a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

Slade looked at him, honestly, he was impressed by the strange young man. Despite his severe injuries, he was still standing strong with a warriors air about him. 'If I wasn't serving Trigon, he would have made a great apprentice.'

For some reason, Naruto felt a shiver crawl down his spine. _'Why do I feel like Orochimaru's lusting after me?'_

**_'Focus brat. That demonic energy coming off him isn't his. It's from a very powerful demon. His master is dangerous, especially in the state we're in.'_**

Expecting a fight, he was surprised when the masked man jumped away, saying "We'll meet again."

_'Huh, I wonder what he said.'_ Turning back to the girl, intent to ask what was going on, he paused, finally getting a good look at her face. Unbidden, a blush spread across his face. _'Kami she's gorgeous. Focus, this is not the time to stare into her pretty eyes- wait, I mean-'_

_**'Heh, looks like that perverted old man finally got to you.'**_

_'No, I am not a pervert. I've resisted Ero-Sennin's influence for four years. I will not fail now!'_

While Naruto was talking to the voice in his head, Raven was studying him just as intently, numerous questions flying through her mind. _'Who is he, why did he help me… are those whisker marks?" _Coming back to her senses, she asked "Who are you."

Snapping out of his daze, the man gave her an impossibly bright smile that made her cheeks flush. "Oh! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! What's your name!"

Taken aback by his cheery attitude despite his injuries, she hesitantly answered "I'm Raven."

"Nice to meet you Raven-chan!" He reached forward for a fist bump, but with the crisis apparently over and his adrenaline gone, he fell, finally succumbing to exhaustion, hearing a surprised "Naruto!" before the blackness overtook him.

* * *

After the teen, Naruto, collapsed, her powers flared, returning time to its normal state. She just barely managed to catch him before he hit the roof. Afterwards, Robin had shown up. She'd eventually managed to convince him to bring him to the tower instead of the hospital, weary of the strange man. However, he'd warmed up to him after she told him how Naruto drop kicked Slade in the face. After dropping him off in the medical wing of the tower and ensuring he was stable, she'd gone to her room to replace her clothes before healing him.

The boy, Naruto, was a mystery. He'd somehow resisted whatever she'd done to freeze time, saved her from an undead Slade, all while horribly injured. It was that last part that had her both confused and worried. So, she hurriedly put on fresh clothes before rushing down to the medical ward.

* * *

"I'm tellin' you Rob, he's human! Full DNA scans, x-rays, and infrared readings come back as normal."

"Then how on earth did he get up there. Better yet, how was he moving after Raven froze time."

"Weren't you doing the moving to, friend Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Only because Raven freed my from her spell. From what she told me, he just came out of nowhere and kicked Slade in the face."

"Dude! He drop kicked Slade! Hahahaha! That's awesome!"

Behind them, the door swung open and Raven entered the room.

"Friend Raven, it is glorious to see that you are unharmed. Tell me, who is this man?"

"His name's Naruto." She responded in her usual deadpan. Walking up to him, a shimmering blue aura enveloped her hands.

"Ooh, are you doing your glowey hands thingy to heal him?" Beast-Boy asked.

"Yes."

While this was going on, Robin was talking quietly to Cyborg. "Are you sure he's safe."

"Well he's human, I can tell you that much, but safe? No clue. Why are you so worked up about him? I mean, he saved Raven."

"We don't know anything about him, and he just shows up out of the blue right when Slade comes back from the dead weird fire magic. Doesn't it seem a little suspicious to you?"

Back with Raven, she was examining his body. _'How does he have so many scars?' _one in particular caught her attention, right over his heart was a fist sized scar; she could tell it had pierced him deeply. _'how did he survive THAT'! P_utting it out of her mind for the moment, she sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hands on his chest, then gasped at the flood of emotions. So much pain and grief, it almost made her cry. But even more powerful, far surpassing his pain, was hope and love. It wasn't a directed love, like one might have for their spouse, but a general sense of love directed towards everything around him that seemed to shine from his very soul. Just feeling it comforted her in a way she hadn't felt since she was a child in her mother's arms back on Azarath. Despite the comfort, it was just so strong that she jerked back in surprise.

"Raven! Are you alright?!" Robin asked, figuring that the boy had done something to her.

"Ye- yeah, I'm fine." After a moment to calm herself, she said "He just feels everything so strongly, it surprised me."

"What do you mean? Is he a threat?"

"No, he-" She was cut off by a grown from the bed. Quickly turning back to him, she watched in astonishment as his eyes fluttered open.

Having been woken up by a burst of energy that seemed to jump start his chakra network, Naruto looked around, confused, until he saw her familiar face. "Oi, Raven-chan! Where are we?"

"We're in the med-bay of Titan's Tower. How are you awake? With your injuries you should have been unconscious for a few days at least."

"Eh, I've always been a fast healer. So, what's Titan's Tower?"

"… You don't know what Titan's Tower is?"

"No, I just got here, I don't really know much about this place."

Now, this piqued her curiosity. Most people at least knew who the Teen Titans were, even if they didn't live in Jump City.

"So where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm from another dimension." Naruto replied casually.

**_'Idiot.'_**

_'What? We can trust her.'_

_**'****You literally just met her.****' **_He deadpanned.

_'So? she's nice.'_

_**'You just think she's hot.'**_

_'Yeah- Wait NO!'_

"NARUTO!"

"Whah!" Looking up, he was met with an annoyed Raven.

"Finally!" Raven snapped in agitation. "I've been trying to get tour attention for over a minute!" Her expression shifted to one of concern. "Are you ok?"

"Oh, yeah sorry. I was just arguing with Kurama."

"Who's Kurama?"

**_'Idiot.'_ **The fox repeated.

"Oh, heh heh" While he trusted her, he hadn't been planning on telling her about Kurama. Then again, she had demonic energy of her own, so she probably wouldn't react too badly. "Kurama's the fox demon sealed in my gut." He replied casually so as to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal. Judging from how she recoiled slightly, he hadn't been to successful. "But don't worry!" He added hastily "He's cool."

"He's cool?" Raven replied skeptically.

"Yeah! The furball used to threaten to eat me a lot, but we're friends now." He said with an eye smile reminiscent of Kakashi.

**_'FURBALL! I'LL SHOW YOU FURBALL!' _**Kurama cried indignantly.

_'I was just trying to make you seem less threatening.' _Naruto reasoned.

She looked at him with a sort of cautious hope. "So, you don't think that they're all evil?"

"Of course not. They're like people, they're not inherently good or evil. Mōryō and the Juubi were bastards, but demons like you and the Bijū are pretty nice!"

Raven froze at that. "What do you mean 'like me'?" _'How did he know! Wha- Why isn't he afraid of me?'_

Naruto tilted his head, looking confused. "You're not a demon? I mean, you have demonic energy. Are you a container then?" Raven couldn't help but relax slightly at his nonchalant question. He was asking that like he was just talking about the weather.

"No, I'm not." Coming to a decision, she continued. "I'm a hanyou." She mentally braced for rejection, for him to fear her like the monks of Azarath did. She really shouldn't have bothered.

"Really? How does that work?"

She smiled, happy that he didn't seem to care, but also confused at the question. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how'd your parents… you know…" He trailed off awkwardly.

Raven blushed an atomic red, made all the more obvious by her pale complexion. "I-Idiot! Why are you asking that?!"

Recognizing her female fury, something ingrained in him from Sakura and Baa-chan, Naruto rushed to defend himself. "I mean, Kurama doesn't have a, well, penis, so… I mean-"

As steam started pouring from Raven's ears, Kurama decided that now would be a good time to interject. **_'That's because I'm a girl, brat!'_**

"WHAT!" So startled by this revelation, Naruto began yelling out loud. Raven stumbled back and fell from the bed. Off to the side, Starfire jerked in surprise, but maintained her grip on the other Titans, whom she was restraining for some reason. "YOU'RE A GIRL! HOW! I mean you sound like a guy!" Instantly realizing what he said, and fearing a Sakura-like reaction, he quickly backpedaled. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that! You have a lovely voice! And-"

**_'BHUAHAHAHAHA' _**Kurama bellowed, unable to hold it in anymore. **_'You- HAHA- You actually thought I was a girl!'_**

Raven watched the odd display, growing increasingly confused as Naruto's panic turned to rage. "THE HELL KURAMA! That wasn't funny!"

**_'By the sage- HAHAHAHA- I can't breathe!'_**

Naruto's impending shouting match with is still howling partner was cut off by Raven. "Naruto, stop yelling." She was annoyed that he was ignoring her again for his, apparently female, demon friend. For some reason, that irked her.

"Oh, sorry." Naruto apologized, his attitude pulling a full 180. "Kurama was being a jerk." He pouted.

Her irritation battled with her curiosity over what the fox could have done as she asked, "What did she do?"

"He convinced me he was a girl! Just because I called him a furball! Which he is!" The last comment was more aimed at said furball than Raven, but he was too busy laughing to care.

As his shouting finally began to make sense, her irritation gave way to mirth at the blonde's misfortune, and she started giggling. The giggling soon turned into full blown laughter, joining Kurama. This, more than anything, startled Starfire enough that she released her grip on the other Titans, as they all stared in shock at their teammate.

"Dudes" Beast-Boy whispered. "Ravens laughing."

"I don't believe it." Cyborg muttered in disbelief as he began a system-wide scan of his systems. Robin just stared on in shock

"Glorious! Is this not a wonderful courtship!" Starfire's exclamation snapped everyone out of their disbelief, or laughter in Raven's case, to stare at the red-haired alien.

"Courtship!" Raven shouted, grabbing Naruto's attention.

"Courtship?" he mumbled in confusion.

"Yes!" Starfire confirmed, seemingly ignorant of the Raven's shock. "Oh, this is a most wondrous occasion! We must prepare a Tamaranian feast to celebrate!"

As her teammates paled in horror, Raven sputtered "We're not courting Starfire!"

Starfire deflated at this. She'd been so sure they were involved. She'd never seen her friend so… animated before. And her powers weren't even flaring up! She knew that her friend couldn't control them when excited, so when this mystery boy had shown up and seemingly allowed her to express herself without fear, she'd been over the moon. So, she'd grabbed her friends and covered their mouths so as to keep them from ruining any moment they might have. But apparently, they weren't courting. A smile formed. They weren't courting – Yet.

"Uh, Naruto, was it?" Now that he was free from Starfire's clutches (not that he minded being there in the first place) Robin decided that it was time for him to get answers. First, though: "Do you mind speaking English?" Honestly, why the two of them were conversing in different languages was beyond him.

"Eh, Raven-chan, what's he saying?" Honestly, was Raven the only one that could talk normally?

She looked between them, confused. "What are you two talking about?" Now that the others were around, she found it easier to slip into her usual deadpan voice. She idly wondered why it was so difficult before.

Robin looked at her oddly, "I need to question him, and he obviously understands English since he was talking to you."

While they were talking, Naruto took the time to finally observe the other people in the room. First there was a little green dude with fangs; thanks to his sage training, he could feel natural energy flowing through him. _'He's not a sage, I can tell that much. Hell, Raven's the only one with working chakra pathways. It's like he's a part of nature." _Then there was a man that looked like he was from Kumo. Or he would, except he was covered in metal. He kind of reminded him of Sasori. Or maybe Nagato's Asura path. Then there was the girl in spandex. She looked eerily similar to his mom. He just hoped she didn't have her temper (cue shudder). Finally, there was the masked boy. Honestly, with the mask, gravity-defying hair, and air of command, he was half convinced that he was Kakashi's inter-dimensional lovechild.

_'Odd,' _Naruto thought. _'Why are they talking in two different languages.' _"Hey, Raven-Chan, can you tell him to speak in Elemental? He obviously knows it."

Now, unlike a certain blonde in the room, Raven was a pretty quick thinker, and was able to figure out what was happening. "Uhg." She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Naruto, you are hearing me in your language, correct?" He nodded, confused as to why she asked that. "Robin, when I'm talking to him, am I speaking English, or am I speaking his language?" She asked, even though she was pretty sure, she still wanted confirmation.

"English." He replied, and he could guess where she was going with this. "Are you saying that…"

"Yes. Naruto and I hear each other in our native tongues, while to everyone else we are speaking different languages." For some reason, she felt the urge to add something to her statement. Not seeing any harm, she did so, "How troublesome."

Naruto snickered at how much she sounded like a Nara. She'd probably get along well with Shikamaru. He stopped snickering; for some reason the thought bothered him. _'Oi Kurama, if Raven-chan's not speaking Elemental, how do I know what she's saying?'_

"Do you know why?" Robin asked. She shook her head. "Does he?" He asked, indicating Naruto.

"I doubt it." Turning back, she asked, "Hey, Naruto." He didn't respond. Judging by the glassy look in his eyes, she figured he was talking to Kurama about it. After his eyes regained clarity, she asked, "So, what did Kurama say?"

_'Kurama?'_ The other Titans wondered.

"Hm?" He wondered how she knew he was talking to the Bijū "Oh yeah. Apparently whatever fūinjutsu marks Zombie-teme put on you put your energy in a state of… uh" _'Kurama?' _He asked, having forgotten the word he used.

**_'Flux.'_**

"Yeah, flux, and apparently a little bit of it entered my chakra network, creating a kind of mental bond."

Whereas before she was just annoyed, now Raven felt a touch of fear. Her mind was dangerous. For anyone. "Naruto, how strong is this bond?"

"Eh, if you're worried about me hearing your thoughts, don't worry. Kurama said it's barely strong enough to overcome the language barrier as it is."

She let out a sigh of relief at that. "What bond?" She heard Robin ask. "And who's Kurama?" Raven looked back at the other titans. Beast-boy and Cyborg looked confused, Robin looked concerned, and Starfire… seemed strangely happy, even for her.

"Whatever Slade did to me made my powers temporarily unstable, and when Naruto caught me, some of my energy merged with his, creating a weak mental bond that lets us understand each other. As for Kurama…" She trailed off, looking at Naruto. Being a half-demon, she knew how hard it was to reveal something like that to others. Honestly, she was surprised that he'd told her so readily. Naruto, seeing her unasked question, merely smiled, and shrugged in permission. Despite said permission, Raven didn't really feel like convincing her team that a demon wasn't a threat, so she compromised. "He's a fox spirit sealed inside Naruto. Don't ask." She added, cutting off Robin's pending question.

A bit miffed that she'd cut him off from asking about the spirit, he turned to Cyborg. "Well, what language is he speaking. It sounds like Japanese."

Cyborg, who had his arm display showing, replied, "Yeah, it has a similar structure, but the words are completely different. The only thing the computer understands are the honorifics."

"Honor-whats-its?" Beast-Boy asked.

"Honorifics. They're kind of like Mr. Or Mrs. that you add onto a name, but there are a lot more of them. When he was talkin' 'bout the why he could talk to Raven, he mentioned 'Teme', which means bastard. I'm pretty sure he was talking about Slade there."

"What about '-chan'?" Raven asked. She was curious. He'd added it to her name several times.

Cyborg, though, looked worried. He wasn't sure how she'd react, and he was worried about the kid. "Uh, ya' don't wanna' know."

"Cyborg." She warned. On the inside though, she was worried. Was it an insult of some kind? She thought he liked her, he seemed nice enough to her, but why wouldn't Cyborg want to tell her.

"Ya' really don't!" He complained, trying to save Naruto from her wrath. After all, most guys that hit on her ended up in a brick wall. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as black energy surrounded him and dragged him by the arm to where she could read the display there.

"'-Chan', a term of endearment meaning 'cute', often used for close female friends or lovers." As Raven read aloud, she felt her face heating up. She released Cyborg, allowing him and the other Titans to back away from the soon-to-be-more injured blonde while praying for his swift recovery. Addressing Naruto, still read in the face, she asked "Is that what '-chan' means?"

The Titans were shaking their heads at him from behind her back, begging him too deny it, for his sake. Oblivious to their warning, he nodded, smiling. "Yeah, your really pretty, and you're taking care of me which makes us friends. So I call you '-Chan'!" His smile fell after a moment. "Unless you don't want me to, of course." He said, frowning.

Raven felt her heart skip a beat when he called her pretty, then felt it fall when he offered to stop calling her that. "No!" She replied, a bit hastily. "It's fine." she continued, calmer.

Naruto's smile returned full force as the others' jaws dropped to the ground. Shaking his head to clear it, Beast-Boy shouted, "Dude! Who is this guy! First drop kicks Slade, then he talks to Raven in her with a mind-link-thingy, he's possessed by a fox ghost, and most importantly HE FLIRTED WITH RAVEN! AND HE'S STILL ALIVE!"

Embarrassed and wanting to change the subject, Raven choked out, "Well, he's also from another dimension."


	2. Chapter 2 - A Toad on a Rooftop

**Authors Note: Wow, I honestly did not expect so many people to read this. After just one hour, I already had 270 views, and I gotta say thank you. Well, since you guys seem to enjoy this, I will keep it coming.**

**Now, Raven might seem just a tad OOC, but that's not my intention. Naruto just has a way of making people open up to him.**

**Next chapter we get into the Teen Titans plotline. **

**Unless I somehow find a way to buy them on a college student's budget, I do not nor will I**** own**** the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking __telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

_**'Biju/Demon thinking/talking ****telepathically****'**_

* * *

Raven groggily sat up in her bed, looking at her alarm clock: 8:37. Usually, she would have woken up earlier to watch the sunrise before meditating. As it was, she figured she still had some time to meditate before getting some tea. She smiled fondly, remembering the previous night. After everyone had settled down and introduced themselves, they'd decided to allow Naruto to stay at the tower, seeing as how he had no way back to his home dimension.

When she'd accidentally mentioned that it was her birthday, Naruto had insisted on celebrating. She'd initially refused, prompting him to ask the other Titans for help convincing her. She laughed softly, remembering how he'd tried to pantomime his words as the others looked on in confusion. Eventually though, he got his point across, and together they managed to convince her celebrate. It had been surprisingly… fun. Even if she had to play translator.

She frowned, remembering how he'd been mostly healed by the time she left for bed. Normally, she'd be happy to see her… friend? Yes. Her friend healing, but all she could think about was how injured he must have been before rescuing her. With how fast he healed, he must have either been near death no less than a day before meeting up with them, or injured just minutes before. Yet, he still risked himself to help her.

Going through the door leading to the roof, she paused after a few steps, having finally spotted the figure at the edge. He was sitting so perfectly still that she'd missed him at first. She recognized his posture, he was meditating. No, there was more to it than that. She could feel the flow of powerful energies centered around him, almost as if he was acting as a conduit for it. Her eyes widened in realization.

"You're a sage." She breathed. Sages, contrary to popular belief, were not just wise old wanderers. Sages were people who had become so in tune with nature that they became one with it, thus able to wield its power. Unlike 'The Green' that Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing use, Sages were not limited to the energies of plants, instead they were able to draw upon energy from every aspect of nature. As he turned to face her, she noticed that his eyes had changed. Gone were the sparkling sapphire orbs, instead, yellow toad-like eyes stared back at her, surrounded by a red pigmentation.

Last night, instead of sleeping, he'd gone into his mindscape to talk with Kurama about their situation. According to him, they were stuck in this dimension. While the toads could reverse summon him to Mount Myōboku, they could not summon him back to the Elemental Nations. The Summoning Jutsu works like a rubber band. One end is anchored in your home dimension, and the other end can be 'stretched' to another realm. When summoning a toad, who's anchor is at Mount Myōboku, you 'stretch' their rubber band and anchor it to your dimension with their chakra. When their chakra runs out, it releases the rubber band, sending them back to their realm; hence why they don't need another summoning to go back home. With Naruto's reserves, he could have stayed at Myōboku for months. Unfortunately, you can only 'stretch' another's rubber band while in your anchored dimension; if you tried otherwise, you would 'release' your own before completing the jutsu. When Ma had summoned him home to battle Pain, she wasn't actually summoning him. Instead, she 'released' his rubber band and used her location as a beacon for his arrival. Once there, he'd immediately summoned the other toads to fight with him.

Seeing as how the only ones who were able to summon him were anchored at Mount Myōboku, they couldn't actually get him back to the Elemental Nations. However, he could send messages home through them. By giving the toads a message, they could pass it along to the slugs, who could reverse-summon Tsunade and give it to her. She, in turn, could give the slugs a message to give to him through the toads. That is, assuming she'd been freed form the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

He had to wait till morning to gain enough chakra to summon Pa. However, they had decided to use Sage mode, both because they did not know how much it would take to 'stretch' Pa's rubber band to this new dimension, and also to help Kurama recover his chakra faster. His ridiculous reserves would normally take over a year to refill, however, by boosting it with natural energy, the wait could be as short as several months, so long as they didn't use it too much. He'd been about to summon Pa when he's sensed Raven walking towards the roof with his enhanced senses, and had decided to wait for her.

"You know about senjutsu?" Naruto asked, surprised.

"Yes, though most people here just think they are wise old men."

"Well, while all the other sages I met were old, only Ma, Pa, and Super Gramps were wise. The other two, well one was senile and Ero-Sennin was a pervert." He chuckled, and Raven was curious about the fondness in his voice. "He'd probably yell at me for calling him that."

"Well, no one want's to be called a pervert." She replied offhandedly as she sat down beside him.

"He didn't, but not for the reason you'd think." He laughed again, confusing Raven. "When I first met him, I called him a pervert. You know what he said to me?" She shook her head. Using his best Jiraiya voice, he bellowed "'I am not just a pervert! I'm a SUPER PERVERT!'" Raven, for the second time in years, flat out laughed. To Naruto, it was a beautiful sound. Back in the tower, the other Titans shivered, feeling a disturbance in the natural order of things. As her laughter died down, he continued. "Despite his perverted nature, Jiraiya was a great person. He was like a father to me."

Though he spoke with only fondness, Raven noticed his use of past tense. "Was?" she asked.

Naruto looked down, a sad smile gracing his features, but still reaching his toad-like eyes. "Yeah, he died how he lived, searching for peace. He was killed by his former student, Nagato." Raven gasped, but sensing that he wasn't finished, didn't interrupt him. Naruto turned and looked out towards the bay. "He lost someone precious to him and lost his way. He thought that Pain was the only way to peace, perverting Jiraiya's teachings. I actually learned Senjutsu so I could defeat him, and when I finally did, I had to decide whether or not to kill him. I wanted to; I really did. He took away one of my most precious people then attacked my home, but I knew it wasn't what Jiraiya, so I let him go." He turned back to her, and she could see a tear forming in his still-yellow eyes. "And you know what, I'm glad I did." This shocked Raven. If it had been her, she probably would have killed him, despite being a hero. He took away his father in all but blood. "Because I did, he was able to redeem himself. He gave his life to save a lot of people that he had hurt. He put his faith in me to find peace where he had failed."

"Naruto…" She let out softly. This boy, no this man, had been through so much, and she had a feeling this wasn't even half of it, and yet he was still so happy. He hadn't become jaded or closed off like so many other heroes who had suffered had. "I'm sure he'd be proud of you." She said. She knew he didn't want an apology for bringing up old memories. He could have stopped at any time, but for some reason, he'd trusted her enough to tell her this, to let her into his past. She was glad he did.

Thinking back on everything that had happened since Pain's invasion, especially a certain distraction jutsu against Kaguya, Naruto chuckled. "I'm sure he would." He agreed. "Now, enough depressing stories, I've got to summon Pa before Sage Mode runs out." Technically, with Kurama's help, he could keep up Sage Mode indefinitely, but he was currently resting, and he wasn't going to wake him up for this.

Startled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet with him, she asked, "Pa, as in the Sage Pa?" He nodded. "Do you want me to leave?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure he'd love to meet you!" He took a step back, not realizing, unlike Raven, how close they'd been. "Now, stand back a little bit."

He raised his good arm to his mouth before a thought occurred to Raven. "Wait!"

He stopped, "Yeah?"

"If you can summon him here, does that mean he can summon you back home?" For some reason, that thought didn't sit well with her.

"No. It's a bit complicated, but he can't. I can summon him here, and he can summon me to his home for a short period of time, but he can't summon me back to my home."

"Oh." She replied, curious as to why she was happy at that answer.

He nodded and bit his thumb, not really surprising Raven seeing as how most summoning involved blood of some sort. He performed a few seals with his hand, then slammed it on the ground with a call of "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

Naruto released Sage Mode as the smoke cleared revealing an old toad in a cloak. He was about waist high with a spike of hair at the back of his head, a goatee, and the thickest eyebrows she had ever seen. (Off in another dimension, two spandex clad men shouted about a challenge to their youthful brows). He kind of reminded her of that green alien from that movie Beast-Boy had forced her to watch. What was his name again? Yoga or something? It didn't really matter. She was surprised when it spoke in a weird language.

"Eh, who summoned me!" He looked at them, shocked. "Naruto-boy, you're alive!"

"Hey Pa! How've you bee- OW!" Naruto rubbed the growing lump on his head while the toad stood over him, stick in hand. "What was that for!" He shouted in indignation.

"That's for not summonin' me earlier. You had us worried sick!" As a seeming afterthought, he whacked him again.

"OW! What was that one for!"

"That one was from Ma. Would you have preferred to summon her so she could hit you instead?"

Thinking back to her rolling-pin-of-pain, he shuddered. "No, I wouldn't" He said, defeated.

"Good boy." He turned to Raven. "And who's this pretty lass?" He asked with a smile, which soon turned to an expression of horror. "This better not be why you didn't summon us earlier! You are NOT turning into a pervert like Jiraiya-boy! Ma would kill us both!"

"What are you talking about Pa?" He asked, before turning red as his meaning sank in. "Of course not, are you crazy! I just met her. Besides, it would never get to Ma! Baa-chan and Sakura would kill first! Then they'd find a way to bring me back and do it again!"

Off to the side, Raven just watched the odd spectacle. "This is what the others feel like watching us talk, isn't it?"

Naruto paused, remembering his friend. "Oi Pa, this is Raven-chan!"

He hopped over to her. "Nice to meet you Raven. My name is Fukasaku, but you can just call me Pa like everyone else."

Naruto, knowing that she couldn't understand him, translated. "He said his name's Fukasaku but that you should call him Pa."

The old toad looked at him questioningly until Raven replied, "It is an honor to meet you, Sage Pa." She gave a little bow, feeling a little stupid for bowing to a toad.

"What's she saying Naruto-boy? And why's she talkin' like that?"

"Well Pa, people here speak a different language. I can understand her, and she can understand me, but everyone else is out of the loop. As for what she said, she said it was an honor to meet you, 'Sage Pa'"

"Finally! Some respect!" He exclaims, before asking "So where is here? And what happened to you're arm!"

"You might want to sit down Pa, it's a long story." He said while sitting down and motioned for Raven to join them. He told Pa how his final clash with Sasuke propelled him between dimensions, how he landed here, and everything else that had happened, all the while translating whatever comments Pa made for Raven, and vice versa.

Pa chuckled. "Only you, Naruto-boy. Only you."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" He shouted, forgetting to translate.

"You're always getting into the most ridiculous situations! I mean, when has anything gone according to plan for you."

"Heh, I guess you're right." He responded, before telling Raven the gist of the conversation. Now, with that over, he asked the question that had been plaguing his thoughts but been too scared to ask. "Pa," He asked, more serious than Raven had ever seen him. "What happened after I left. Is everyone ok?"

"Heh, don'cha worry Naruto-boy, everyone's fine." Naruto let out a sigh of relief. "It seems like you really got through to Sasuke. After you disappeared, he was apparently wracked with guilt. He dispelled the Infinite Tsukuyomi with that eye of his before turning himself in. Everyone's worried sick about you, but no one really thinks you're dead."

Naruto lets out a shaky breath as the fear he's been holding onto since his arrival left him. "They're ok." He let out in a breathy whisper. He'd been hoping against hope that this would be the case, but with how Sasuke had been acting, he'd feared the worst. However, he did what he did best: he shouldered that pain and moved on. However, it had still weighed heavily on his heart, and with that weight now gone, he was overwhelmed with emotion. "They're ok!" He shouted this time, and leapt up, bringing Raven with him. He embraced her and spun in a circle before realizing what he was going. Setting her back down and quickly backing away, he started apologizing.

Red-faced, she managed to get out "It's fine, Naruto." While she still didn't know everything that had happened, from what she'd learned during their conversation, most of his world had been trapped in an infinite illusion of some sort. How he'd remained so cheerful was beyond her. Knowing that they were free must have been an immense relief. She figured that was why she wasn't pounding him into the ground with her powers for hugging her like that.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the roof slammed open. "Yo BB! You up here!" Cyborg called looking around. "Yo Raven, Naruto, you guys seen-" He then caught sight of Pa. Now, to be fair, most of the time when he sees a large green animal, it's usually Beast-Boy. Unfortunately, this was not one of those times.

"There you are BB! We gotta go! I got Robin in on the Stankball Game! Took some blackmail, but I did it!" He yelled, grabbing Pa.

"Unhand me metal man!" Pa yelled, whacking him on the head with his stick.

From the ground, Cyborg lifted up a finger. "You're not BB." He said shakily, before collapsing back to the ground with swirls in his good eye.


	3. Chapter 3 - Nothing in Space

**Authors Note: Thank you guys so much for your support, it really means a lot. However, I will not be able to continue posting at this rate any more. Expect a new chapter every two or three days.**

**A quick heads up, there is an Author's Note at the end that you should read after finishing the chapter. If you want a small spoiler, you can scroll down and read it first. It references an event that happens in this chapter, but nothing too serious.**

**Please note: Kurama is only a demon in the most technical sense. In this fic, the God-Tree/Juubi was a demonic entity, and since Kurama and the other Biju were made from it, they are classified as demons as well. However, they never went to hell or anywhere like that, as they spent all their lives in the Elemental Nations. Aside from the occasional chance encounter and the other Biju, Kurama has not interacted with any other demons. His demonic status was just convenient for identifying Raven's heritage, it will not have a large impact on the plot.**

**Also, I plan to do a few of the filler episodes out of order for my convenience. As these are not related to the main plot (i.e. Trigon), I don't think it really matters. If you don't like it, well too bad.**

**Note that while this episode mostly follows the original episode, most will not be this way. I am not here to write a transcript for the origional show, I'm here to write a unique crossover.**

**I've never written a fight scene before, especially between so many characters at once. I hope I do it justice.**

**Here we go! We're finally doing an episode! And wow is it a long one. I may end up doing future episodes in halves. **

**I still don't own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans. I'll let you guys know if I do.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

After Pa left with a message for someone called Tsunade (whom she learned was the one Naruto affectionately called Baa-chan), Raven and Naruto went for breakfast, the still unconscious Cyborg floating behind them with her magic. As they road the elevator, he noticed something. "Did you cut your hair?"

"Yes." She replied simply. She'd done it last night before falling asleep, not wanting to deal with the tangles in the morning.

"It suits you." He commented, causing her to blush. It really did. She had looked good with her long hair, but this hime-style cut really seemed to fit her. It made her even more beautiful. "_Wait, what?_"

Luckily for them, their blushes had died down before the elevator deposited them in the main room, which consisted of a kitchen, the command area, the TV, and a gorgeous view over the city. Upon entering, three pairs of curious eyes locked on them.

"What happened to him?" Robin asked, referring to the still-floating Cyborg.

Raven smirked. "He lost a fight with a toad." She said with her usual snark.

Robin and Starfire shared confused looks as Beast-Boy, who had paused his video game, burst out laughing. "Hahaha!"

As the duo went to the kitchen area for some food, after Raven had floated Cyborg over to the couch, Starfire noticed their apparent closeness, and uncharacteristically smirked. While she was still naive in many things, romance was no longer one of them. When Titans Tower was first built, she had gone to the store of books to get materials to learn of the Earth Culture. One of the books must have had the wrong title though. She'd bought a book on the shades of gray, fascinated that Earth apparently had 50 different types. When she first read it, she'd turned red enough that her hair seemed pale in comparison. Quickly hiding it under her bed, she had vowed never to open it again. However, after Kitten had tried to steal Robin, she'd decided to look at the book one last time for some help to seduc- I mean woo Robin. When she read it, though, she'd found she quite liked it. Since then, she had gotten many similar books, though she was careful to hide them from her teammates. Yes, it's true. Starfire is a closet pervert. (Somewhere up in Heaven, Jiraiya cheers in victory). As such, she's able to see the attraction between the two, even if they did not.

Determined to get them together, both to help her friend and have one less rival for Robin's affection, she formulated a plan. Floating over to the duo as they finished preparing their breakfast, or tea in Raven's case, Starfire innocently asked "Friend Raven, could you ask Naruto if we may share the lip contact?"

All activity screeches to a halt, only the sound of a few plates shattering, courtesy of some 'random' spikes in magic, breaking the silence. All eyes, even the now awake Cyborg's, turn to her. Before Raven could respond, Robin yelled, "What! Why!?" Starfire smiled. She had not considered this. She knew from her reading that jealousy could be used to help one realize that they had 'the feelings', but had only meant to use it on Raven. Now, it appeared that it had worked on Robin as well.

Pretending that she did not realize why he had asked that, she replied "My people can learn any language through lip contact, and I wish to converse with friend Naruto."

As Robin tried to explain to the 'seemingly' oblivious alien why you can't just kiss a guy, Raven reluctantly conveyed her request to Naruto. As much as she, for some reason, disliked the idea, she could see the practicality of it. However, his response totally shocked the Titans, who did not need to know his language to understand him.

"What! No, no, no. Not doing that! Nuh uh!" He rapidly shook his head, his palm out in a defensive position.

"Why not?" She asked, confused. '_Most guys would give their right arm to kiss her (No pun intended), so why did he refuse. Oh no, don't tell me he's gay!_' she thought, unaware of the similar thoughts running through the other Titans' heads.

"No more super powered kisses! I've already had a toad kiss me to place me in an illusion world and nearly had my soul sucked out by another one. No more! If I'm going to kiss someone, it's going to be a nice, non-powered kiss with a girl I like!" Naruto denied vehemently.

Raven sighed in relief. "So you're not gay?" She asked for clarification.

Naruto shuddered, remembering how his first kiss had been taken by a certain Uchiha. "Kami no!"

Raven smiled at that, though she wondered why she cared so much. It wasn't like she thought being gay was wrong. "Wait, your soul was almost sucked out?" '_that must have been one hell of a kiss'_ she thought, annoyed.

"Yeah, that chick was crazier than the snake lady! If I hadn't switched with a Kage Bushin, she would have gotten me! Kami, sometimes I wish I didn't get their memories." He mumbled that last part, though Raven heard it. Despite not fully understanding, she was pleased to know he hadn't enjoyed it.

Looking back at her lost teammates, she summed up his response. "He said no."

"Seemed like a whole lot more that that." Cyborg commented.

"Yeah, what'd he say?" Beast-Boy questioned excitedly.

Turning back to her tea, she replied cryptically, "Eh, something about a toad and his soul." Beside her, Naruto chuckled, being able to guess why she'd said that. She may hide it, but he could tell she was a prankster, if in words instead of action.

"Oh Yeah!" Cyborg suddenly rounded on Beast-Boy and hit him upside the head.

"Dude! Why'd you do that!" He complained. "My poor head." He wined as a comically large tear formed in his eye.

"That was for earlier yo!"

"What do you mean "That was for earlier"?"

"What's going on?" Naruto asked, confused as the duo argued.

"Cyborg thinks that Pa was Beast-Boy, so he's getting 'revenge' for getting knocked out earlier." She answered, taking a sip of her tea.

"But he looks nothing like Pa!"

"He can change into animals, but they're always green." She explained, then thought for a moment. She was pretty sure he'd realized that it hadn't been Beast-Boy. Eh, it was probably just the head injury.

"Really…" He commented, seeming speculative before looking back at the duo. "Should we stop them?"

"Nah, they'll figure it out." She replied with a smirk, which was returned full force.

* * *

"Please, explain why it is bad to be the old maid?" Starfire questioned, not really getting the game.

After Cyborg and Beast-Boy resolved their differences, Starfire had convinced them all to play a game to "bond" with their new friend. She had insisted that Naruto and Raven sit together. Raven had planned on researching a translation spell for Naruto, but he'd been so excited once she explained what Starfire wanted that she couldn't say no.

Raven was currently sharing a deck with Naruto, seeing as how he couldn't really hold his cards right and play with just one hand. Inside his mindscape, the now awake Kurama chuckled silently to himself. He considered reminding Naruto that he could just make a temporary arm with his unique hinge, but he decided that he'd rather let Naruto suffer, then make him feel stupid later. It had nothing to do with the fact that the brat enjoyed being near the half demon. Nothing at all.

Cyborg had offered to build him a replacement arm later, but the idea of a metal arm just reminded him too much of Sasori.

As Starfire finished her question, three large metal objects flew past the window behind her. "Whoa! What was that!" Cyborg shouted.

"Giant worms?" Beast-Boy questioned. Just then the three objects flew back into view, revealing them to be space ships, with two identical ships firing energy beams at the third.

"Uh, don't think so." Raven replied dryly.

"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted as they all ran out of the room, with Raven dragging Naruto behind them. She didn't know him nearly as well as she'd like, but she knew he was a fighter, and that he was a good person. He'd follow whether she told him to stay or not. Better have him with them so she could make sure he didn't over do it with his injuries.

The team, plus one inter-dimensional shinobi, ran onto the roof to get a better view. From there, they could see that one ship looked similar to a rocket, while the smaller pursuers resembled sting-rays.

In an impressive display of flying, the rocket executed a somersault, flying past his enemies. "Whoever he is, the guy's a good pilot." Cyborg commented.

The sip weaved between enemy fire before rising up above one of the rays, taking it out with twin blue beams.

"That guy's a great pilot." Exclaimed Robin.

"So, should we do something?" Naruto asked.

"We don't know who they are, or who the good guy is." Raven commented.

Her reasoning made sense, but looking back at the others, it was clear they who they were rooting for.

Just then a figure launched from the rocket, landing on the remaining enemy ship. He crawled up the side before slamming his fists into the glowing red light. "Did he just take down that ship with his bare hands!" Robin asked in disbelief.

"Looks like it." Cyborg confirmed before the now-smoking ship flew past them, headed strait for the city. "Come on man, you can do it!" Cyborg encouraged the rider. As it neared the City, he jerked the ship off course to crash in the uninhabited woods outside the city, saving the inhabitants. Naruto's respect for the man rose.

They quickly rushed to the crash site to check on the guy. When they arrived, a silver man emerged from the flames. "It takes more than a plasmatic implosion to bring down Val-Yor." He said, taking a dramatic pose.

'_Was he just waiting for us to arrive to leave the crash? Cause it took us several minutes to get here._' Naruto thought with a sweat drop. Starfire took a quick picture with a large camera, the flash blinding him for a second. '_Oi, where'd she get that? Because I know she didn't have it earlier._' Her tight suit clearly had no space for it and- '_Where'd it go!_' He thought in confusion, seeing as it was now gone.

As Val-Yor walked towards them, his abandoned ship landed dramatically behind him. "That was some amazing flying." Robin complimented.

"Thanks! Val-Yor of Vernathia, pleased to meet you!"

"I'm Robin, And we're the Teen Titans. That's Raven, Naruto, Beast-Boy-" He said, pointing to each member in turn.

'_Well, he is staying with us. I guess that makes him a temporary titan_' Raven thought. '_Should have asked first before introducing him as one though_'

"Cyborg." Said person extended his hand, shaking Val-Yor's hand. "Man, you sure know how to make an entrance."

"It's all in a day's work!" He said, smirking.

A chibified Beast-Boy, his eyes sparkling, asked "You do that every day!" If it was possible, the sparkling became even brighter.

'_The hell! Did he just shape-shift into that thing?_' Naruto wondered.

**_'Unfortunately not kit. It's more like that damned sunset genjutsu those bowl-cut friends of yours use.'_** Kurama corrected. **_'Be grateful it isn't worse than this. I don't think I could take living with anything as bad as that damned illusion.'_**

Naruto shuddered at the thought, then became even more confused. '_But he doesn't even have chakra! How is he doing it!_'

**_'Lee can't use chakra outside his body, yet he still managed. However the changeling does it, it's just as unbreakable. It defies all logic.'_**

"No, most day's I fight more than just two of them." Val-Yor replied arrogantly, his teeth shining.

'_No! It's just like Guy!'_ He looked around, only to see Raven chibified as well. '_No! Anyone but her! I won't lose her to this!_'

He quickly shook her, thankfully dispelling the illusion. When she looked at him, annoyed, he pointed at Beast-Boy. "You are NOT Doing that!"

She looked over, then blanched at her still-transformed team mate. "I wasn't doing that." She denied.

"Yes, you were!"

Thinking he was joking, she looked back into his eyes, only to find him dead serious. She shuddered. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Val-Yor, who had been watching their interaction with a confident smile, let his face fall to one of displeasure when he spotted Starfire.

"Val-Yor! I Welcome you to Earth!" She greeted cheerfully.

"I see you have a Tamaranian." He commented with carefully disguised distaste, something Naruto noticed. After spending the first half of your life hated, it was something you learned to pick up on. His new-found respect of the man immediately fell. It was clear that he was judging her, for what he didn't know, but they clearly hadn't met before.

"Yeah." Robin confirmed. "Starfire's part of the team."

"So, who where those guys?" Cyborg inquired.

"They were not guys at all." He replied, his frown becoming a smirk.

* * *

After hearing that the Locrix were machines bent on Galactic domination, and that Val-Yor was going to blow up their home world with something called the eradicator, Robin had volunteered his team to help. He'd offered to let Naruto stay behind, but he was sure that he could take them, even with only one arm.

On his ship, the Titans listened in rapt fascination. "It was me versus twenty of them. They had me surrounded. There were Crixies to the left of me- Crixies to the right. Things weren't looking good for Val-Yor."

"What did you do?!" Cyborg asked excitedly. Naruto sat off to the side. '_I don't understand a word he just said, but he's a pretty good storyteller._'

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to let them get me," He said, full of confidence, "So I led them to a trap, short circuited the lot of them, and escaped without a scratch!"

"Dude! Those Crixies didn't know what was comin." Beast-Boy said in awe.

Val-Yor chuckled. "They sure didn't son." The titans all turned to each other with wide smiles, even Raven, prompting Naruto to sweat drop for the second time that day. "Just installed a new neutron turbo engine!" He placed a hand on Cyborg's shoulder. You wanna… give her a spin?" He asked, pointing to the ship's controls.

Cyborg looked back at him, tears of joy streaming from his good eye. "A-biga-di-ha-da-da?" He asked in disbelief, pointing to himself, then back at the controls, before seemingly drooling in pleasure.

"I think that's a yes." Raven unnecessarily translated for Val-Yor, who allowed Cyborg to jump onto the controls.

He then dragged Robin to another chair. "Robin, why don't you navigate."

As he sat down in the chair, numerous holographic displays popped up. "Ooh." He awed.

"Raven, Beast-Boy, man the blasters."

"Cool!" Beast-Boy exclaimed as he sped past Raven to his station.

"Can I blast whoever I want?" She asked in annoyance, walking to hers.

"Naruto, why don't you-" Naruto cut him off, pointing to his mouth. "Oh that's right, you can't understand me. Well, I can't place you at the controls if we're going to be attacked. Still, you're a fine man!" He said as he clapped him on the back, though he failed to move the shinobi.

He then went to stand dramatically at his command chair, completely bypassing Starfire, which Naruto noted. Starfire looked at him hopefully as she waited. When no offer came, asked "Ummm, is there not a task for me? I also wish to be useful." Before he could reply, the ship was rocked by an explosion, throwing Starfire around.

"Intruders!" The silver alien shouted. "The cargo hold has been compromised!"

"The Locrix?" Robin asked.

"They're after the eradicator! Cyborg, keep us on course and keep an eye out for more." He ordered.

"Can do!"

"You four, come with me!" He continued, indicating Raven, Beast-Boy, Robin, and Naruto.

As they left the bridge, Starfire followed them. Upon their arrival, Val-Yor blasted the leading robot with some red energy beams from his eyes, as the rest of the Titans jumped down behind him. "I'll take the ugly one." Val-Yor commented, before the opposing groups leapt at each other. Val-Yor defeated two in close combat as Beast-Boy first smashed one as a gorilla, before climbing onto a second as a squirrel. Behind him, another was encased in black energy as Raven threw it into another.

Robin dodged several tentacle-like limbs, before he jumping up to the roof and launching himself into a drop-kick smashing into one. He had to quickly backflip out of range of several other limbs that attempted to skewer him. As more shot towards him, the bots failed to notice the small green rodent running atop them. Said rodent jumped into the air before shifting into an alligator and flying chomped one, then it rapidly shifted into a triceratops to ram another. Off to the side, Starfire and Naruto were blasting through a large group with a mixture of Starbolts and Rasengan's. 

Robin missed an arm and was thrown into the wall. "Watch out! They can sting you!" Val-Yor warned as he held back an enemy. Just as warned, several protrusions attempted to impale Robin, which he dodged, before running along the curved walls, avoiding the rest in an impressive display of acrobatics. Jumping down, he threw two birdarangs, which curved around before both hitting one dead-center.

"Nice shot!" Val-Yor grunted as he threw away his opponent.

"Thanks." Robin looked over the room, before two more mechs landed in front of them.

"Think you can handle these two?" The alien questioned, receiving a confident "Got It!" in return.

As Val-Yor flew over the scene, he saw Raven blast a Crixie that was about to fry the bomb, before it got back up. "Hit it in the central processor" He suggested, before flying towards the recovering bot. "Like this!" He yelled as he punched a hole straight through it's chest. As several more surrounded them, Raven fired off several sharp blasts of energy that pierced each one in the indicated area. They stood still for a moment, before all falling in sync.

"Heh, remind me to stay on your good side." He commented. Making his way over to the bomb, he watched Beast-Boy take out several in succession. "Nice work son!" He complimented, rubbing his hair. A robot began to sneak up behind him, before being blasted away by a bolt of green energy. It stumbled back into the eradicator before falling to the ground. The bomb beeped a few times, before calming down. "WATCH IT! Are you trying to blow up the ship!" He yelled in Starfire's face. Naruto, who was next to her, frowned. Sure, she made a mistake, but she'd done it while protecting him.

"I will be more careful next time." She apologized.

"There won't be a next time." He declined harshly before storming off and took out the remaining Locrix as she looked on, hurt.

Naruto nudged her to grab her attention, told her "Hey, don't listen to that guy! You were just protecting a comrade, and we're still in one piece!" He gave her a thumbs up and smiled. "You did good!"

While she still couldn't understand, his message must have gotten across, as she gave him a small smile. "Yes, thank you, friend Naruto."

Back with Val-Yor, the rest of the Titans were in awe of his decimation of the remaining forces.

"That was awesome!"

"Cool!"

"Not bad." Commented Beast-Boy, Robin, and Raven, respectively.

"Ok team, back to the bridge! We need to be ready in case they are foolish enough to launch another attack." As the walked past him to the bridge, Naruto heard Starfire speak, and decided stay back to listen, hidden from both of the,. Val-Yor seemed to have a grudge against Starfire, which both he and Kurama could easily sense, and he wanted to make sure that his friend was safe.

"I wish to apologize. I did not mean to endanger your ship. I was only trying to help."

He turned back to face her with glowing eyes, and said in a voice dripping with contempt, "I don't need help from a stupid _Troq_." Causing Starfire to gasp.

* * *

Later, as they walked towards the bridge, Naruto listened to the others talking talk among each other. He assumed they were talking about how great Val-Yor was, as he heard his name mentioned several times. Starfire trailed behind them, looking depressed, and Naruto seethed inside. He had no idea what a 'troq' was, but he could tell it was an insult. A horrible one at that, if her reaction was any indication. He'd called her that several times while he insulted her. He walked away after about a minute of verbal abuse. It was a good thing he had, because he was one insult away from having a _Rasengan_ shoved up his ass, and Kurama's encouragement to do so hadn't really helped. Usually, the fox didn't take an interest in humans, but apparently he'd taken a liking to her. With his negative emotion sensing, he could easily tell that his host's alien friend didn't have a single mean bone in her body. That, coupled with her innocent joy, and he'd been unable to resist growing fond of her in the short time they'd been in this dimension.

From the very beginning Naruto had to restrain himself from interfering. Only the threat of the Locrix looming over them, which they needed his help stop, kept him from doing so. As much as they wished it were otherwise, he had not lied about them. Kurama had confirmed that he hadn't told a single lie since they'd met. '_He might be a bastard, but at least he's an honest bastard._' He thought dryly. He wanted to comfort Starfire, but he didn't want to make a scene in front of her friends.

Robin noticed Starfire hanging back, and called "Starfire, come on. We don't want to be late for the briefing."

"Last one there's a rotten egg!" Beast-boy challenged, seemingly oblivious to his teammates mood as he rushed off. As the others moved to join him, Naruto came to a decision and grabbed Raven by the arm. Unable to follow due to said arm, the three boys soon left them behind.

"Naruto?" She questioned, before noticing Starfire. She wondered why she hadn't run off with the others.

"Raven, I need you to tell Starfire to kiss me." He said with a frown.

"What!" she yelled, surprised. "Why! I thought you didn't want to do that." Her exclamation was enough to rouse some curiosity in her depressed teammate.

"Something bad happened. I need to talk to her about it. Please." He explained.

Raven turned to look back at Starfire before arguing some more, only to stop as she finally noticed the look in her friend's eyes. Wondering what the hell happened, and seeing that Naruto seemed to know, she obliged. "Starfire." She stated, gently to get her attention.

"Yes friend Raven?" She put on a smile so fake that it physically hurt Naruto.

"Naruto said he needs to talk to you."

"Ok." She waited for him to tell Raven what he wanted to say, but when he didn't, she looked at her female friend, confused.

Her concern for her friend far outweighing her distaste of them kissing, she clarified. "Himself. He wants you to kiss him so you can talk."

She tilted her head. "I thought he did not want to do the lip contact." She was far too depressed by Val-Yor's words to be thinking about getting the two together.

"He said it's important."

She looked back at their blonde companion and saw the serious expression on his face. "Ok." She said, hesitantly. She walked forward and pressed her lips against him. There was no passion there. Both were stiff with their arms hanging at their sides. Naruto, as in tuned with his body as he was, noticed a flow of energy between them. It wasn't chakra, but it was similar. While Kurama could have blocked it, he knew what was going on and let it pass. After several seconds, she broke contact and stepped back.

"Can you understand me?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes friend Naruto. It is good to finally converse with you." She replied with a small amount of her usual cheer entering her voice.

"Do you want Raven here?"

"I do not understand, here for what?" She questioned, not knowing that he knew of the other alien's animosity towards her.

"Val-Yor." He said, confusing Raven and drawing a look of sad understanding from the red-head.

"She may stay." She conceded, knowing that her friend would get the answers sooner or later now that she knew something was going on. She prepared for him to start questioning her.

"Are you alright?" He asked with a gentleness that surprised the two girls.

"Of course! I'm-" she began with her false smile, only to sigh, knowing he would not be fooled by it. "No, I am not alright." She corrected herself and hugged her arms against her chest, fighting back tears.

Naruto and Raven lock gazes, before nodding. Together, they hugged their friend, who allowed her pent-up tears to fall.

They sat there for a while, letting her cry in their arms. After she had finished crying, he asked, "Are you feeling better?" She nodded, then he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind. "Good. Now, can you tell me what Troq means?" They both felt her flinch at the word. "Please," he continued. "I need to know what he called you."

Now, Raven was starting to put the pieces together. And the picture it made wasn't pleasant. At some point, Val-Yor had insulted Starfire, maybe done worse. And she hadn't noticed because she'd been too wrapped up in her hero-worship.

"It means nothing." She responded as she took a step back from the group hug, confusing Naruto for a second, before the true meaning hit.

"That bastard!" Naruto spat venomously. Raven, who couldn't understand when Starfire spoke in Elemental, was concerned at what could make her normally happy friend curse like she couldn't understand, he elaborated. "Val-Yor was calling her Troq on the cargo hold after you guys left. I stayed behind because I could tell he didn't like her." He paused, before looking at Raven dead in the eyes. "It means nothing. He was calling her a nothing, like she doesn't matter. Like she's worthless!" Inside his mindscape, Kurama growled, doing his best to keep his anger from seeping between their link.

Raven took a calming breath before asking "Why would he call you such a name?" She asked, maintaining her calm demeanor for her friend's sake.

"There are those on other planets that feel like Tamaranians are inferior, Troq is what they call us."

"He's calling you that, just because you're a Tamaranian?" She asked, both for clarification and for Naruto.

He, in turn, understood her situation from his childhood. "And you know that if you retaliate, you'll just be proving him right."

Her eyes lifted in understanding. "Yes. You know what it's like to be judged for a reason outside of your control?"

"Yea, I know what it feels like to be judged. The glares, the name calling, the pain of being all alone." Seeing their confusion mingled with concern, he explained. "For a long time, my village hated me for Kurama. Before being sealed into me, he was placed under a powerful illusion and forced to attack my home. A lot of good people died that night, and even though it wasn't his fault, they didn't know that, and they hated him. Whenever they looked at me, they could only see him."

The girls gasped, and inside the seal, Kurama spoke **'_Sorry about that kit'_**

'_It wasn't your fault. We both know that._' He continued: "So yes, I know what it feels like." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "But you are not what other people say you are. You are your own person, and both Raven and I know how great a person that is. You are smart and brave. You are not worthless. You're our friend."

"He's right." Raven added, pulling Starfire into another hug. "I may not be very good at showing it, but I really care about you. All the Titans do." She said, pulling back. "Now, let's go tell Robin." Naruto, fully on board with that idea, was about to turn to head back to the bridge before Starfire's words stopped him.

"Wait, perhaps we should wait to inform Robin later. I do not wish to endanger the mission." She spoke sadly. When she repeated it in Elemental for Naruto, he shook his head.

"No. My sensei had a saying. "Those who abandon the rules are scum, this is true. But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." If we tell Robin, we might endanger the mission and become scum. If we don't, we are abandoning you, becoming less than scum." He thought for a moment before adding with a smile, "Besides, I'd gladly become scum for you."

Raven nodded. "He's right. Robin needs to know."

Starefire smiled, and nodded.

* * *

"What took so long Troq! We need to plan for the mission, and you're holding us up!" Val-Yor reprimanded as they entered the bridge. Before anyone could comment however, an alarm blared.

"More Crixies?" Beast-Boy asked.

Val-Yor typed rapidly on his command board. "No, mines." A hologram of said minefield appeared above the table. "A dirty Locrix trap! Our ship won't be able to pass through the mine field. If one goes, they'll all go." He turned back to face the newcomers. "This is a job for you, Troqie! Get out there and move those mines."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Robin asked.

"It's just a few mines."

Raven, understanding what he was doing, was about to come to her friend's defense before she beat her to it. "Val-Yor. You are such a brave warrior. Are you sure you do not wish to move these devices yourself!" Starfire challenged.

"Of course I could move them!" he snapped back, "But I'm needed inside. Only an experience pilot could navigate through here. Besides, your people can withstand the hostile conditions of space." Both girls scowled, but couldn't deny his logic.

* * *

While Raven and Naruto stayed on the bridge to make sure Val-Yor didn't do anything that could get their friend hurt, Starfire was putting on her headset by the airlock. Before she could leave, Cyborg approached her. "Are you sure you want to do this."

"I wish to prove my usefulness." She said, before a nearby screen lit up with Val-Yor's image. "Let's get going. We haven't got all day, Troq!" He said before the feed cut off. Up on the bridge, two people grit their teeth, but had decided to wait until after the current crisis to do anything about it.

"Troq?" Cyborg questioned. "What does that mean?"

She turned around to exit. "It means nothing." Then, remembering her earlier conversation, added, "But he is wrong." Before leaving through the airlock.

Cyborg was confused, but he shook it off.

* * *

As everyone, aside from Naruto, sat in their stations, Starfire flew towards the minefield.

"Nice and easy." Val-Yor commented as she pushed the first mine out of the way. "We don't want any mistakes this time."

"I will not make any." She declared with determination. Catching the gist of it, Naruto was both proud of his friend, and thoroughly annoyed at the man. They watched as Starfire moved several mines in rapid succession, creating a large enough gap in the field for the ship to pass through. As she released the last mine, however, the bridge crew noticed that it was floating towards another one.

"Watch it Troqie! There on a collision course!" He shouted, slightly panicked.

Starfire gasped, and rushed to stop it. "Ghah! I can't watch!" Beast-Boy quailed, hiding his face in his hands.

Bracing herself between the two mines, she groaned as she pushed back against them, just barely managing to stop their momentum before they touched, and let out a sigh of relief.

Beast-Boy uncovered an eye. "Did we blow up yet?" He asked.

"Yep. That's why you're still talkin'." Raven remarked sarcastically, eliciting an amused snort from Naruto despite his foul mood. As Starfire flew away from the mines, one of her boots brushed its tip, activating it.

"YOU TRIPPED THE DETONATOR! You only have 20 seconds!" Val-Yor shouted in alarm. Determined, Starfire flew at the bomb.

Inside, Robin unbuckled himself. "I'm going out there!"

"No! It's too dangerous!" Val-Yor denied. He sat back down, frustrated beyond belief.

Starfire arrived at the bomb and pushed it out of sight. The bridge watched with baited breaths, before an enormous explosion lit the void. All the Titan's looked on in horror, before Starfire's voice sounded over the communication link. "You may proceed safely." Causing them to cheer while Val-Yor grimaced in irritation.

"Never doubted her for a second!" Beast-Boy claimed as he wrapped his arms around Raven from behind, eliciting a silent growl from a certain blonde. "Raven, you really shouldn't worry so much."

She scowled at him in annoyance, causing him to quickly release his grip on her.

* * *

Starfire entered through the airlock, where Cyborg, Raven, and Naruto were waiting for her.

"Way to go Troqie!" Cyborg congratulated, his hand raised for a high five. This caused three reactions. Starfire gasped, Raven scowled, and Naruto, forgetting that he was most likely ignorant of the term's meaning, punched the teen into the wall, denting it. Before he could complain, Starfire marched up to him, poking him in the chest. "You do not call me that!" She demanded.

"But, Val-Yor calls you Troq all the time."

"Cyborg." Raven hissed in agitation.

"That does not make it right." Starfire said sadly, turning away as Cyborg crawled out of the wall.

"It's an insult." Raven told Cyborg. "A bad one."

"But she said it didn't mean anything."

"No." Starfire clarified. "I said it means nothing. When Val-Yor calls me Troq, he is saying that I am worthless, a nothing." She went on to explain how other races looked down upon Tameranians as inferior, something Cyborg could relate to on two levels.

"We were about to tell Robin before the mine field interrupted us." Raven informed her friend.

"Ok. Let's go find him." He responded.

* * *

"And that's how we defeated Control Freak." Robin concluded, having regaled Val-Yor with one of his tales.

"Sounds like you handled your team well!" he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're a true leader. You remind me of myself when I was your age, Spike."

At that, Robin gave an impossibly wide smile before being pulled into a noogie. Just then the bridge door opened. "Robin, can I get a word?" Cyborg asked as he entered with the others. Val-Yor shot him a finger gun before he walked over.

As he explained in a low whisper, Robin harshly questioned "What?"

"_And that's what he's been calling her this whole time_" Cyborg finished, still whispering.

"Starfire, why didn't you say something?" He asked. Not giving them a chance to answer, he pounded his palm with a fist. "He will apologise. I'm going to make-"

"No Robin," Starfire interrupted. "Our mission is more important than my feelings." Naruto scowled. Whatever she'd said had stopped Robin. Even though logically he agreed that they should wait until after the mission to confront Val-Yor, he was still itching to beat some sense into him.

Before a decision could be made one way or another, an alarm blared. "We've arrived at Sentien!" Prepare for landing." As he says this, the ship had to dodge multiple plasma blasts. With a hard face, he growled "Looks like they were expecting us."

They quickly made their way to the ship's exit ramp "Ok Titans, here's the plan." Val-Yor ordered. "Cyborg and Robin, take the lead. Beast-Boy, Raven, and Naruto, guard our escape route. I'm taking the quantum eradicator and putting an end to the filthy Crixies once and for all!"

Robin glared at the man. "What about Starfire?" He asked.

"Guard the ship Troq." he ordered as he prepped the eradicator.

"No, I am going with you." She declared.

He yelled in response "I gave you an order!"

"I do not take orders from you! If my friends go into danger so do I. Besides, my people can withstand hostile conditions." She threw his earlier words back at him.

As the ship landed, they were met with a hoard of robots guarding the entrance to the canyon that led to their base. "Let's do this!" Val-Yor said.

Immediately, Robin and Cyborg attacked the enemy with a mixture of sonic blasts, birdarangs, and hand-to-hand, allowing Starfire and Val-Yor, who was wearing the eradicator like an over-sized backpack, passage to fly through the throng.

Raven gathered her energy and blasted several droids off the canyon walls. Now that he had room to maneuver in, unlike back in the ship, Naruto summoned several clones as reinforcements, much to the surprise of the remaining Titans. Unfortunately the Locrix had completely destroyed the environment on this planet, so much so that he could barely sense any natural energy, making sage mode nearly impossible. As he and his clones went to town on a large group of robots, though one clone went off somewhere, Beast-Boy maneuvered through the tentacle limbs of another group before flying high above them. There, he transformed into a Brontosaurus, falling on and crushing his group. Reverting back to normal, he gave a proud smile., before flinching back as several more landed by him.

The clone that went off on it's own follows Starfire and Val-Yor. He was impressed with the ease she decimated several bots, but he frowned as he watch the silver alien repeatedly deny her offers of assistance in carrying the weight he was obviously struggling with. Inside the base, he saw Val-Yor place and arm the device. '_It can't have been that easy._' C-Naruto (i.e. Clone-Naruto) thought. Sure enough an iridescent blue barrier trapped Val-Yor with his bomb. He watched with a mixture of awe and pride in his friend as she risked her life and forced her way through the barrier with brute strength before dragging the resisting man out. With only seconds to spare, she grabbed the injured Val-Yor before flying away.

Back with the other Titans, the robots suddenly shut down as Naruto received the information from his clone. "They did it." Robin exclaimed, before Starfire flew out of the explosion carrying Val-Yor, his arm draped across her shoulders for support.

"No, she did it." Cyborg corrected.

"Starfire, are you ok?" Beast-Boy asked.

"Val-Yor requires medical attention." She replied.

* * *

Val-Yor stood facing the rest of the Titans on the roof of the tower, his right arm in a sling. "Well, thank you for all your help"

"Don't thank us. Thank Starfire." Robin demanded, pointing at her.

"Yeah, she's the one who saved your sorry butt."

Starfire shifted further into the group, a bit uncomfortable. "Thank you. Starfire." He managed, though you could tell he was struggling. "I have to admit you're not bad for a Troq." Upon saying the word, Naruto punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"Kami, that felt good."

"Hey, I was trying to pay her a compliment!" He complained.

"Then why does it still sound like an insult." Raven said, glaring at the man.

"Spike, you understand. I didn't mean anything by it, it's just-"

"Val-Yor" Robin said, cutting him off, "I think it's time for you to go."

He stared at them before saying, "I thought you earthlings were alright. I guess I was wrong. You're just like the Troqs." He flew up to his ship before flying it away.

"I'm sorry Val-Yor treated you like that." Robin apologized. "If I'd known, I never would have let it happen."

"None of us would." Cyborg agreed.

"There is nothing you could have done." Starfire said. "There will always be people who say mean words because you are different, and sometimes their minds cannot be changed. But there are many more people who do not judge others based on how they look or where they are from. Those are the people whose words truly matter."

* * *

**Authors Note: This is a Naruto x Raven pairing only. I am not doing a harem or threesome. The kiss with Starfire was out of pure necessity. Besides, I'm a huge RobStar fan. **

**Also, slight Val-Yor bashing. This is not a bashing fic, but I never liked the guy. He's just so arrogant. And he hurt Starfire, who is one of my top 5 all-time favorite characters. And most of all, he's a bully. I really don't like bullies. **

**I'm going enjoy doing the next chapter. "Employee of the Month" Is one of my favorite filler episodes of the series. Also, I will finally resolve the language barrier.**


	4. Chapter 4 - Tofu and Some Cows

**Authors Note: Wow guys. I just… wow. It's only been two days and I'm already at 150 favorites. I'm blown away, thank you so much.**

**I figured after some of the heavy stuff last chapter that we needed to brighten the mood, and what better way to do that than with some humor and fluff?**

**Please note: I did not make a mistake in this chapter. After Naruto learns English, I will not be underlining his speech except for Jutsu or when he is specifically talking in Elemental.**

**About Naruto's Henge: I know that technically the normal hinge is classified as a true transformation, but I'm calling bull. A true transformation would take way more chakra and be way too useful to be classified as an E-rank jutsu.**

**Naruto will not be getting a new arm, whether it be built by Cyborg, grown with Hashirama's cells, or by any other method. It is part of who this Naruto is now. It represents his struggles and triumphs, as well as the price he had to pay to save Sasuke. When Naruto eventually uses Kurama's chakra again, he can use that for combat. Outside combat, his henge works just as well. I always thought that Naruto losing his arm was just a way for him to lose the Sun seal, which is how I used it (Mostly because I think its healing ability is OP). I disliked him getting a new arm because it felt like a cop-out to me. I mean, losing his arm only to get it back?**

**Edit: I have been informed, and have confirmed, that Naruto and Sasuke had already lost their seals before their final fight.**

** I still like the idea of Naruto carrying around his injury as a reminder of all he went through to save his friend. **

**He's still plenty powerful without his arm.**

**Unlike Batman, I do not have billions to spend on my superhero fantasies, so I still don't own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Two figures sat atop Titan's tower, bathed in the glow of the rising sun. Beside a floating Raven, Naruto sat peacefully, fully in tune with the nature around him. Since the Val-Yor incident two weeks ago, he had taken to joining Raven in her morning meditation. He did this both to gather natural energy for Kurama and, though he'd only admit to himself, to spend more time with the female.

Unbeknownst to him, Raven had finished her meditation, and was now just observing him, her hood down, with a fond smile. Since summoning Pa, he'd had fairly consistent communication with his home world. One of the first scrolls he'd received had contained several items, including his clothes. He looked good, she decided, decked out in his new sage cloak. She blushed slightly, thinking about the previous night.

_***Begin Long Flashback***_

_"Hey Raven-chan?" Naruto asked._

_"Yes?" They were currently sitting off to the side in the main room, watching, or ignoring in Raven's case, Beast-Boy and Cyborg argue about meat again. Even though she had finally found a translation spell, though it had been surprisingly difficult to find one that worked on Kurama, they still enjoyed each other's company. They'd often discuss various topics, or just sit together in comfortable silence._

_"Why do you always wear your hood up?" _

_"It adds to the image." She supplied, looking up from her book._

_"The image?"_

_"Yes. If you can intimidate your opponents, they don't fight as well." She explained._

_"Oh, that makes sense." As a ninja, Naruto knew all about intimidation tactics. Back home, Ibiki was a master with them. "Still, why are you wearing it now? We're all friends here, and I like looking at your face!"_

_"You do?" She asked… hopefully? Why did she care so much?_

_"Well, yeah. I mean, you're one of the prettiest girls I know! Why wouldn't I?"_

_She blushed an atomic red, though thankfully her still-raised hood hid it well. Having gotten too know him much better over the past two weeks, she knew he meant it. He wasn't flirting, or just saying that to make her feel nice; he wasn't that kind of guy. Whenever he spoke, he only told the whole, unfiltered truth. It was refreshing. _

_Besides, he was more oblivious than Beast-Boy. When they'd gone out for pizza, the waitress was clearly trying to seduce him, something that bothered Raven. Luckily, he hadn't noticed. At all._

_ "Thank you." She managed sincerely, before feeling compelled to ask, "What about Starfire?" _

_"Eh, she's cute," He rubbed the back of his head, "but her hair reminds me too much of my Mom. Look." He reached down, pulled out a scroll, and unrolled it onto the table with both hands. He then channeled some chakra into it, unsealing a picture._

_A few days ago, Raven had visited Naruto in his room, being drawn by a steady banging noise. There, she had found Naruto repeatedly hitting the wall with his head while muttering "Baka". Apparently, he'd had a technique called a 'henge' that could give him a temporary arm. He'd explained that it would vanish after one hit, so it wouldn't be useful in battle (except for his clones, who already shared the same limitation), but he could use it for non-combative situations. She added it to her ever growing list of his abilities. Upon hearing him rant about stingy prankster foxes, she'd been unable to contain her giggles any longer. _

_Back in the present, she looked at the photo he handed her. In it, a man who looked remarkably similar to Naruto was holding a pregnant woman's belly, looking at it with such love she could feel it through the picture. The woman, who possessed red-hair similar to Starfire's, was smiling, looking just as happy. "Are those…?"_

_"My parents." He confirmed. After a quiet pause, during which Raven lowered her hood to get a better look, he added, "You know, I actually got to meet them." _

_This surprised Raven, who knew how they'd died after she'd asked for the full story behind Kurama's sealing, as well as his treatment by the villagers. Suffice it to say, she'd had to meditate for a few extra hours that night. "How?"_

_"When they sealed Kurama in me, they both left some of their chakra behind to help me with him." He chuckled fondly. "I actually punched Dad in the gut when he showed up," This drew a smile from Raven. "But we talked, and I came to understand how much it hurt him to do it, ya know? Talking to them, I could tell how much they loved me." A tear slid down his smiling face._

_"That must have been nice." Raven commented, not knowing what else to say._

_"It was." Raven was searching for something to say before he continued. "I hope I can have that one day."_

_"Have what?"_

_"A family." He responded, unaware of how that set Raven's heart racing. "Some kids to spoil, that I can smother with love. A wife that I can devote myself to, that I can give my heart to." He let out a wistful sigh. "Maybe some day I'll find the right person."_

_Raven, her heart still racing, placed her hand over his. "You will. You're too great a guy not to." As Naruto took his turn to blush, she quietly excused herself, handing him back the picture. "I have something I need to do. Thank you for talking about this with me. We should… do it again sometime."_

_His eyes met hers and he smiled._

_She calmly walked out into the hall, before the door shut behind her. Then, she flew to her room, quickly shutting the door behind her. Walking over to her dresser, she picked up a demonic looking mirror. She didn't know what was going on with her emotions, but she was going to find out._

_***End Long Flashback***_

The conversation with her emotions had been… interesting to say the least. But at least she now knew what was going on: she was in love. It didn't make any sense. It had only been two weeks, barely enough time to for a fledgling crush to form, much less fall in love. And yet, that's exactly what had happened. After Malchior, she'd all but given up on love, especially with her Father's prophecy looming over her. But then this strange blond teen, who'd managed to somehow worm his way into her heart, evoking emotions so strong that she was surprised she hadn't accidentally blown up the tower. Actually, now that she thought about it, her powers never seemed to spike around him. Oh well, something to think about later. For now, she was content to watch her friend.

* * *

While to an outside observer, Naruto appeared, inside his mindscape, he paced back and forth furiously. **"Calm down brat."** Kurama said from under the shade of a massive tree. **"You're giving me whiplash."** After everything had settled down in this new dimension, Naruto had set about changing his mindscape for his friend. It had been surprisingly easy, what with him being able to draw upon both Kurama's and Raven's vast knowledge on the subject. It no longer resembled a sewer, but a vast grassy field, spotted with the occasional giant tree (Not as large as the God-Tree, but large enough for Kurama to sit comfortably under). That wasn't what had him up in arms, though. No, it was something much more serious.

"I can't, and you know that!" He shouted in Elemental. While they could both speak English, they still preferred their own language. Despite yelling at him, though, Kurama wasn't the one Naruto was mad at. "That bastard is planning on killing Raven-chan to invade Earth! And we have no idea how to stop it!" Yes, Naruto knew about Trigon. When he'd asked Raven why her energy shared similarities with Slade, she told him pretty much everything, much to her own surprise. It was one thing to be half demon. It was another to be the harbinger for Armageddon. However, his reaction made her glad she did.

_***Begin Short Flashback***_

_Naruto, having just been told about Trigon's plans, growled. "Naruto?" Raven asked, unsure at the sound._

_"He has no right." He ground out, before shouting in Elemental, "He has no right to use you like that! He's supposed to be your father! He's supposed to protect you! To love you! But instead he-!" He stopped, reigning in his partners chakra that he'd allowed to leak out, before continuing. "I won't let that happen. We will stop your Fa- no he lost the right to be called that. We will stop Trigon. Together. I won't let him take you!" He finished with conviction. _

_Meeting Raven's eyes, he saw tears forming, and was about to apologize for whatever he said to upset her when she threw her arms around him, letting her tears fall as she rested her face on his chest. "Thank you, Naruto."_

_He smiled. "Of course, Raven-hime."_

_***End Short Flashback***_

He wasn't sure if they could take Trigon at full strength, which would still take them several months to achieve. And it wasn't like using shadow clones could speed up the process either. No matter how many he made, his overall reserves, and thus the amount of natural energy he gathered, stayed the same. It didn't really matter, as it was a moot point anyway. If he had to fight Trigon, that would mean that Raven was already dead, something he refused to let happen.

Since learning about it, he'd been constantly searching for a way to stop the prophesy. Unfortunately, Kurama wasn't much help. Not that he was unwilling, but as he'd said, **_"Kit, I'm not like other demons. I never spent time in hell, or went to Demon School, or whatever. I'm just as clueless as you are._"** Since then, at any point in time he had over a dozen Shadow Clones scouring the internet and whatever old tomes they could find in an attempt to find a solution. Still it was a slow process.

Kurama looked at his friend. He, of course, knew why the boy was so worked up. It was clear as day that he had feelings for Raven, strong ones at that. Unfortunately, it was something he had to figure out for himself. **"Kid, calm down. I know it's frustrating. I'm just as upset as you are. But we're doing everything we can, so there's no point in ranting like that Uchiha about it. Besides, we both know we can kick this "Slade's" ass if it comes to that."**

Naruto took a deep breath to calm himself, before smiling up at his furry friend. "Thanks, Kurama." He paused, then frowned, "I wasn't as bad as Sasuke, was I?"

The fox laughed. **"Not quite, but you were getting there."**

Naruto shuddered. "If it ever gets to that point, just stomp on me a few times, will you?"

**"Will do. Now, get out of here. Your green friend's coming up here."**

Back outside his mind, Naruto opened his eyes as the door to the roof opened. Turning to face it, he saw that it was indeed Beast-Boy. "Dudes, come on! We got a mission! Apparently, some UFO's are taking… are taking…" he trailed off, as his eyes glazed over. Naruto looked to Raven in confusion, but she just shrugged.

"Beast-Boy? You ok there?" She questioned. In response, she heard a low rumbling sound. "Are- Are you purring?" She asked in disbelief as she walked towards him. However, he ignored Raven and headed towards her friend.

"Beast-Boy?" Naruto asked uncertainly as the green human approached. His uncertainty changed to concern as he morphed into a large green tiger, the purring now a deep rumble. "Beast-Boy?!" He questioned again, a bit more urgently as he began to scramble to his feet. Unfortunately, he never made it that far.

In one leap, the tiger pounced on him, knocking him to the ground and dispersing his henged arm. "Naruto!" Raven cried in panic as she rushed over, before pausing at the strange sight. Beast-Boy, still rumbling like a jet turbine, was nuzzling rubbing his entire body against Naruto, wrapping his paws around him to prevent escape.

"Raven! Help Me!" Naruto shouted in panic. Sure, he had enhanced strength as he was still in sage mode, but with only one arm, he couldn't pry him off. The only way to free himself would be to hit his friend, and with the aforementioned strength, that was a bad idea.

Raven, snapping out of her stupor, continued her approached. Upon arriving at the duo, she noticed that the feline's eyes were extremely dilated. Honestly, it reminded her of the time Starfire covered herself in catnip and dragged her to the cat shelter. Seeing that neither were in any real danger, she decided that this was an opportunity that she couldn't pass up.

"In a bit, Naruto." As she said this, a video-camera appeared next to her in a burst of black energy. "I just need to get some evidence first." Naruto looked at her, then the camera, then back at her, before smirking.

"YES! I knew you were a prankster!" He shouted in victory.

"It's not a prank. It's blackmail." She denied.

"Sure it is." Naruto replied smugly.

* * *

After several minutes of filming, Naruto's sage mode ran out. As Beast-Boy started to come out of his stupor, Naruto suddenly smacked himself in the face. Or he would have, if he wasn't still being restrained. "Of course." He groaned.

"What?" Raven asked, not getting it.

"He was attracted to my sage mode." He groaned.

"Huh, why? Is it because of his powers?" Raven questioned.

"Partially. All animals instinctively seek out natural energy. It's why most animals avoid cities. However, Beast-Boy is connected to nature in a way I've never seen, in either animals or sages. To him, I must have seemed like a drug to him." He explained.

"That was… surprisingly well said." Raven commented, before deadpanning, "Kurama helped you put that together, didn't he."

"Hey! I can be smart!"

"Uh-huh." She said, not believing him.

Just then, the tiger morphed back into Beast-Boy. "Uhg, what happened?" He questioned, rubbing his eyes. Opening them, he saw that he was straddling Naruto. Springing back, he yelled "DUDE, what are you doing!" He looked around, "And how did I get up here?"

"Well, after you came up here to tell us about a mission, you decided to attack Naruto with tiger cuddles." Raven smirked.

"What! I didn't do that!" He claimed, before looking at Naruto for support. "Right!"

"Hate to burst your manly image, but you did." Seeing that he was about to go into denial, he pointed back at Raven. Following his finger, Beast-Boy say that she was holding a video-camera so that he could see the screen. There, said cuddling could be seen playing. "DUDES!"

* * *

**(AN: Assume that all Shadow Clones have two hands, and Naruto has a constant henge of one outside of combat.)**

A few days later, Cyborg could be seen hurtling through the night sky on some sort of spacecraft. "GHAAAHH! Is that all you got!" He challenged. As if to spite him, the craft jerked and flipped around in an attempt to throw him off, zooming away from the farm they'd confronted it at.

Robin launched himself off his motorcycle before spreading his cape like a glider. He then propelled himself with the boosters in his shoes. "Cyborg, we're closing in. Hang on!" he called through their com link.

"That's what I'm trying to do!" He yelled back, as the craft continued to jerk around. As Robin, Raven, Beast-Boy (as a pterodactyl) and Starfire flew after him, Naruto ran beneath it, as he'd officially been welcomed as a teen titan.

**(AN: I mean, he was able to outrun a train while carrying a grown woman at age 12. I'm pretty sure he can keep up.)**

Summoning shadow clone, Naruto nodded at it. C-Naruto grabbed the original's hand and flung him up to the ship before dispersing. Sticking to the bottom with chakra, he was about to climb to the top, but was stopped as he was struck by electric beams, knocking him off. "Naruto!" Raven yelled as she prepared to dive and catch him.

Before she could do so, he created a clone mid air and, using it as a springboard, jumped forward, breaking his downward momentum and propelling him back towards the UFO. He repeated once more, then landed on the ground running. "I'm ok! Help Cyborg!" He called as they approached the city. Using some chakra-enhanced parkour, he was able maneuver through the buildings and catch up with them in time to see the ship suddenly stop mid-air, throwing Cyborg forward into a building.

Raven was able to hold hp the falling debris long enough for Starfire and Robin to clear out the people under it, before allowing it to fall to the ground. He landed beside the Titans, sans Beast-Boy, as Robin questioned his Teammate. "Cyborg! Where did it go!"

"I don't know." He scratched his head in confusion.

Just then, a clearly exhausted green bear walked up to them, transforming into Beast-Boy. "This is the third time this week it's gotten away!" Robin exclaimed in agitation as he pounded his palm.

"At least there's some good news!" Cyborg replied cheerfully as he brushed some ruble off his shoulder.

"You finally decided to let me drive the T-Car?" Beast-Boy asked in hope. Naruto managed to resist the urge to snort at that disastrous scenario, knowing full well that Cyborg would never allow it.

"NO! I found a new place for breakfast!" Cyborg exclaimed, moving to give them a clear view as the sun rose behind him.

"Mega Meaty Meat?" Robin questioned. "I've never heard of this place before."

"Sound's healthy." Raven remarked sarcastically as she lowered her hood.

"Come on guys, what better way to end a steak-out than with a nice, juicy steak!" He exclaimed, as his head seemed to expand.

'_Huh, where'd he learn Iruka-sensei's Big-Head jutsu?_' Naruto wandered.

"Hellooo! Does the word 'I'm a vegetarian' mean anything to you!" He yelled, getting in his face. "There is no way you could ever get me inside a place like that." He crossed his arms. "Tell them Naruto!"

"Tell them what?" He questioned.

Beast-Boy rounded on him and exclaimed, "Aren't you sage-people supposed to like animals!" He pointed at the building dramatically. "This place is a slaughter-house."

"A sage?" Robin questioned.

"Eh, sorry Beast-Boy, I've gotta go with Cy on this one." He denied, getting a "My Man!" in return. "Every Sage I know eats meat." He continued, before thinking, "Well, I'm not sure about Super Gramps. One sec."

'_Oi Kurama, did Super Gramps eat meat?_'

**_'Are you really asking me that?_****'** he deadpanned.

'_Yes! It's important!_'

**'_Yes, the old man ate meat. Now let me sleep_'** He said in exasperation.

"Yep! All the sage's I've met ate meat." Naruto confirmed.

Beast-Boy looked at him, betrayed. "Well I'm still not going!"

"Besides," Robin interjected, "We should get back to the tower and start tracking that ship."

* * *

Back at the tower, Naruto was preparing some Ichiraku's Cup ramen, courtesy of his new favorite scroll, when he spotted Beast-Boy drooling to a magazine. '_NO! I thought I was done with perverts in this dimension!_'

"Isn't she amazing?" He heard. '_Sweet Kami, he's actually panting!_'

He watched as Starfire walked up behind him, prompting him quickly ducked behind the counter to avoid being caught up in her female fury on the pervert, unaware of Starfire's stash of 'special' books.

From behind the counter, he heard her question, "Um, you are aware that this 'she' you feel affection for is merely a land vehicle." Causing Naruto to face-fault

'_Seriously?_' he questioned, before his timer buzzed. "Alright!" He exclaimed, grabbing the food of the gods.

* * *

Later, Naruto walked back into the main room to see an irritated Raven rubbing her temples. "What did Beast-Boy do this time?" He asked, knowing full well that his green friend has perfected the art of annoying her.

"He came in hear complaining about a conspiracy to keep him from getting a moped." She groaned.

"What's a moped?" Naruto may know the language, but it there wasn't an equivalent word for it Elemental, he was left in the dark.

"It's kind of like a motorcycle."

He thought for a bit, before putting the pieces together. "Would a moped be considered a 'Land Vehicle'?"

"Yes?" She confirmed, unsure why he asked that, then startled chuckling. Raven waited, not quite minding the sound of his laughter. As he settled down, she asked "What's so funny?"

He let out another small chuckle as he explained. "Ok, so I was making some ramen in the kitchen-"

She cut him off. "I thought I told you to lighten up on the ramen?" When he'd received his first delivery from the toads, he'd eaten it for every meal until Raven had put her foot down.

"I only had one cup!" He defended himself. Seeing her nod in acknowledgement, he continued. "So I was in the kitchen making ramen, when I see Beast-Boy drooling over what I assumed was a porn magazine, when Starfire walks up behind him-"

"WHAT!" She shouted, sparks of black energy emerging from her eyes. How DARE he expose her innocent friend to such material. (Oh Raven, if only you knew.)

'_Ah, there's the female fury. It's actually pretty cool to see when it's not aimed at me or Ero-Sennin._' He idly thought through his terror.

"Wait, let me finish before you go kill him!" He got out. Seeing her rage diminish slightly, he spoke rapidly. "So, Star said 'You are aware that this 'she' is a land vehicle,' And beast boy gets all upset that she called it 'just' a land vehicle. I was laughing because I just now realized he was drooling over a motorcycle." His delivery of the story was rushed, but hopefully it would be enough to save Beast-Boy's life.

Thankfully the angry sparks of energy dissipated, and the calming Raven remarked, "You know, I really should have seen that coming. He probably doesn't even know what porn is." Naruto sighed in relief, making a mental note to _never_ do anything to have that anger directed at him.

* * *

"Let's see…" Cyborg contemplated. The team was currently sitting at the counter of Mega Meaty Meat, the current place of work of their favorite vegetarian. The irony was not lost on any of them. "I'll have eight number threes, five number twos, two number ones," He continues rabid fire, before finishing slowly, "and a diet soda."

"Actually we don't have soda," Beast-Boy said, carefully neutral, "only meat."

"Ok. Then make it a cup of meat juice." Cyborg amended with no hesitation.

"Please, specifically what variety of meat is it that you serve?" Starfire inquired.

"Um, Bob say's that's a trade secret." Beast-Boy intoned, sounding as if he were reading off a script.

"Are you the only one that works here?" Raven asked, uncertainly.

"Bob say's that's a trade secret too." Beast-Boy repeated.

"Is there anything that isn't a trade secret?" This come from Naruto, who found the whole restaurant to be suspicious. He could spot multiple code violations in just the front alone, which he only knew about because a group of clones had decided to get back at him for hogging all the ramen. Stupid clones.

"Bob say's that's a trade secret." Came the predictable response.

"So where is this 'Bob' anyway?" Robin asked, also suspicious.

"In the back."

"Yeah. I'm glad that you found a way to make some extra money Beast-Boy, but don't you think this place seems a little… weird?"

"Dude, they have fries made out of meat. YES this place is weird, and I hate it! But I'm not leaving till I earn that moped."

Looking at said moped, Naruto couldn't help but wonder what was so great about it.

Five trays, each carrying one sandwich each, slid out of the hole in the wall. Picking them up, Beast boy placed one in front of each of them. '_Where's the rest of Cyborg's food. Better yet, the rest of us haven't even ordered!_' He poked the meat, which giggled slightly. '_It can't be worse than Ma's bugs._'

"Ok. I can't eat until that _thing_ stops looking at me." Raven stated, pointing towards the… really creepy meat statue. _"Its MEAT-TASTIC"_

Naruto was about to comment, but Kurama beat him to it: **'_Kit, channel some natural energy. Something about this place doesn't feel right._'**

'_But what about Beast-Boy?_'

**'_Not enough for him to notice, I just want to get a reading on the area. There's only a faint trickle of negative emotions, but this place is making my skin crawl._'**

Doing as his partner suggested, Naruto closed his eyes and became totally still… for all of four seconds before they snapped open in shock. '_Ok, I may not know much about earth restaurant (besides what those damn clones read about), but I know that's not right._'

Looking over at the leader, he was about to inform him when his communicator beeped. "Trouble! The UFO is back!" Robin announced, prompting him and the team dashed to exit.

"Robin, wait. Something's not right." Naruto informed him outside.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Robin questioned as donned his bike helmet.

"There's a whole bunch of large animals in the building behind Meaty Meat." Naruto explained.

"How many." The masked teen asked, giving him his full attention. He'd asked Naruto to explain sage abilities after Beast-Boy had mentioned it earlier, so he trusted his friend's assessment.

"Over a hundred."

Now, never let it be said that Batman slacked when teaching Robin. Being trained by the world's greatest detective, he quickly put the pieces together. "The cows. Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He confirmed.

Robin thought about this. On one hand, he still didn't know why the aliens wanted the cows. On the other hand, there had been a clear UFO citing, and it was a direct danger to civilians. Quickly altering his plans, Robin gave his orders as Cyborg and Raven caught up to them. "Ok. Naruto, leave us some clones. We can make do with them. Investigate Mega Meaty Meat, but be discrete. I don't want Beast-Boy getting fired if they just really care about the freshness of their meat. The rest of us will go take down the UFO." Naruto nodded, then he made a dozen clones for Robin's use.

Before he could leave, however, Raven stopped him. "Be careful." She said in her usual monotone. Despite that, Naruto could tell she truly meant the words.

"Of course! I'm an awesome ninja, remember." He cheerfully replied, bringing a small smile to her face.

* * *

'_Don't these places usually have doors?_' Naruto wondered as he circled the building behind Mega Meaty Meat for the fifth time.

**'_Seems awfully suspicious brat. Maybe you should just bust in._'**

'_We're trying to be discrete here._' He argued. As he continued his search, he received the memories of a clone. '_So that's what they're using the cows for. Weird._' Any further discussion was halted by a loud roar, followed by several crashes.

**'_So much for discretion_' **

'_Yeah._' Naruto agreed, knowing that the sounds came from Beast-Boy. He charged a Rasengan in his hand and was about to blow a hole in the wall, before the building rumbled. It fell away to reveal a strange pole-like craft. '_That's new._' He thought. "RASENGAN!" Naruto shouted, driving the rotating sphere of energy into the newly revealed wall.

He entered the chamber, only to see a hoard of over-weight men. Along the walls, all the missing cows were hooked up to some device. And Beast-Boy… was talking to a jar. '_Seriously?_' Naruto thought with a sweat drop.

"I'm guessing your ship won't leave without you!" Beast-Boy exclaimed, shifting into a bird and carrying said jar over the men. Naruto sighed before leaping over them towards his friend.

Exiting through the same door Beast-Boy had, he entered the restaurant and saw the teen mounting the prize moped. "Beast-Boy!" Naruto called, surprising him. "What's going on!"

"Oh, so it turns out Mega Meaty Meat is actually space tofu that came her to steal cows and destroy the Earth. So I kidnapped their leader before he could leave!" He exclaimed, presenting the jar proudly. Naruto would have commented on just how stupid that sounded, but the hoard of men burst through the back. "AH! It's the Bobs!" He yelped. He quickly grabbed Naruto, ignoring his "Hey!" of protest, before driving out the restaurant. "YEEE HAAA!" Beast-Boy shouted in glee as Naruto barely managed to keep himself from falling off with a quick application of chakra. "This is so cool!"

"Foolish human!" The most _annoying_ voice Naruto had ever heard sounded from the jar. Looking inside it he saw… '_That is cube. A cube with a face._' Naruto thought in a deadpan. Still, he'd seen weirder. "I have created enough newfu for an army of the Bobs! You will NEVER get away! Your city is doomed! YOUR PLANET IS DOOMED!" The cube continued to shriek.

Beast-Boy shrieked as he drove towards an army of the newly-identified Bobs. "Hi ya Tommy! Be a sport and hand over our supreme creator would ya?" one of them asked. Naruto, who was about to jump off and fight their way through, was surprised when Beast-Boy immediately sped away from them.

"Hey, we could have taken them!" Naruto shouted over the wind.

"There's too many of them!" He replied, before skidding to a stop before a bridge infested with more Bobs.

"All we want is the source Andy!" They informed them, creepily in sync. "And your cows."

"Not gonna' happen!" Beast-Boy declared, before charging straight at them on the moped.

'_Didn't he just run from a smaller group of them?_'

"Insolent human! Your futile charge will end in defeat!" The alien cube shouted.

"I hope there's a plan here!" Naruto commented.

"You're forgetting we're ridding on a Tidwell 3000!" Was the confident reply. "And it has Turbo!" He pressed a red button on the handle, activating FREAKING ROCKETS on the back to fire. '_Ok, I'm starting to see why he's so obsessed with this thing._' As they rushed forward, the bike's front lifted, launching them over the Bobs. All three passengers yelled, the boys in excitement, and the source in fear.

They landed past the Bobs then sped towards Titian's Tower. He road it up the stairs, almost knocking Naruto off, before flying into the main room. He hopped off, prompting Naruto to do the same. The moped skidded to a halt before the couch as the two teens landed in dramatic poses. Behind them, a stadium of people cheered as three judges lifted their signs, each displaying the number ten. Kurama sweet dropped inside the seal.

However, a certain white cube decided to end their fun. "YOU WILL SUFFER FOR YOUR IMPUDENCE GREEN HUMAN! I am the source, feared across three galaxies! Destroyer of-" It's dramatic ranting was cut off as Beast-Boy threw him into the fridge.

The green teen groaned as he sunk to the ground. "That was fun!" He heard from the ground. He looked up to see a smiling Naruto.

"Dude! No it wasn't!"

"Aww, lighten up! It's just a cube of fake meat and some over-weight dudes. How hard can this be!"

"They're about to blow up the planet!" Beast-Boy yelled, causing the smile to fall from his face.

"Oh, that's bad."

"Yeah." He shook off his scarf and helmet. "Ok. Think Beast-Boy think." He told himself as he knocked his skull. "Ghooooo!" He exclaimed, venting his stress as he messed up his hair. He then dramatically threw open the door, all anxiety gone, and demanded in a commanding voice, "I've got questions and you better give me answers. How do I free the cows, stop the Bobs, and shut down the destructo-tron!"

"Hahahahahaha!" The source laughed. "Foolish green human! I will never tell! And when my ship fails to launch as planned, it will detonate, Automatically!" Beast-Boy's exposed canine glinted ominously. He quickly threw the source on a plate, now out of the jar, as it continued. "Submit to my greatness, and I might just spare your pathetic…!" Its confident monologue abruptly ended as it asked uncertainly "Uh, what- what is this?"

A fork impaled the table beside it as a maniacal Beast-Boy, frothing at the mouth, declared "Lunch!"

'_Ooh, I just got chills. Who knew Beast-Boy had it in him. He'd probably get along great with Anko, what with her fetish for snakes._'

**'_That is a horrifying idea. I can only imagine what she could do with access to all those animals._'** Kurama interjected with a shudder.

"And I just happen to be in the mood for a nutritious meat-free substitute."

'_He's bluffing, right?_'

"Really… yo… You're just trying to scare me!" It yelled defiantly.

"Am I? Say hello to my good friend Barbeque Sauce!" He replied with total confidence as he menacingly lifted a bottle of the sauce.

'_Oh dear Kami he's not bluffing!_'

"Hey, he's not bluffing, he really will eat you!" Naruto warned as Beast-Boy squirted the BBQ sauce on it.

It sputtered, "Stop!" It yelled desperately. "The secret is water! Newfu reverts to its normal state in the presence of water! Please don't eat me!" It sobbed.

"That's more like it! Now let's talk cows!" He continued, mechanically lifting a jug of soy sauce.

* * *

Armed with water guns, the duo rode the moped to Mega Meaty Meat, spraying the Bobs along the way. Once they arrived, Beast-Boy pointed at the destructo-tron, seemingly frozen for a second, before saying, "Maybe this can wait."

He tried to walk away, only for Naruto to grab him. "What are you doing! We don't know how much time we have left!" Dragging the terrified boy behind him, he shoulder-slammed through the wall of the bomb, revealing a single on-off lever. "Seriously?" Naruto asked in disbelief. He walked over to it and grabbed the handle.

"EEEP!" Beast-Boy yelped as Naruto pulled it, ducking in the corner. When they did not explode, he sighed in relief.

Across town, the spaceships that were currently engaged with the Titans, as well as the Bobs, popped, reverting back to cubes of newfu. "Can this day get any weirder?" Robin questioned, surrounded by cows.

* * *

As a hoard of Naruto clones took care of the cows, Beast-Boy explained what happened at the Tower to the others. "So it turns out that Mega Meaty Meat is really space Tofu that came here to steal our cows and destroy the Earth. But I kidnapped the alien leader then I" Naruto coughed into his hand, "We shut down the destructo-tron before the world could explode!" He walked over to his shaking vehicle. "And I did it all thanks to my awesome new moped!" As he finished his declaration, the moped collapsed into parts, causing Beast-Boy to gasp in horror.

"You forgot to mention that you tortured the leader with Barbecue sauce." Naruto added.

"Right. So where is the alien leader?" An incredulous Robin asked.

"Oh, he's in the fridge." The suddenly calm sounding green teen answered, before snapping back to look at Cyborg. There, sitting at the table, he held an empty plate as he licked barbecue sauce off his fingers.

As he finished, he looked up to see everyone's horrified expression. "What?"


	5. Chapter 5 - Some Time for Bonding

**Authors Note: Guys! We made it to the second page! You people are awesome! Thank you so much for your support.**

**Here's another short filler before we get to "The Prophecy" next chapter.**

**I know that "The Quest" happened before "Birthmark", but I did it anyway.**

**After this chapter, Naruto will be much more active in the fight scenes.**

**As I'm sure you're aware by now, I do not own Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Several loud knocks on her door roused Raven from her research. "This better be good." She grumbled. It had been three weeks since Slade had marked her, and she wasn't any closer to finding a way to stop Trigon. Naruto had offered to help, and with his shadow clones, she'd been sorely tempted. However, many of her books were too dangerous for anyone but her to read, and most curses would not be fooled by the technique. They were thorough like that.

She opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to see Naruto. "Good morning." She greeted with a small smile.

"Hey Raven-chan!" He greeted with his usual cheer, before scratching the back of his head. "Look, I know you're busy the prophesy," He spoke in his own language to avoid being overheard. Even though he knew that the others would accept her, he respected her decision to keep her heritage a secret. Kami knows how nervous he'd been when his friends found out. If anyone questioned him, he could just say that he hadn't noticed that he was speaking Elemental. "But you need to take a break. You aren't any good all stressed out. Besides, you've earned it."

"Ok." She said, knowing he was right even if she didn't like it. "I'm assuming you have something in mind?"

"You know it!" He replied in English. "It involves our favorite green-skinned friend."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "And that's supposed to help me relax?"

"Oh, it will. Trust me." He reassured with a fox-like smirk. After explaining his idea, she was smiling too.

* * *

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing here or not?" Beast-Boy complained as the trio entered the training room.

"You know I'm a Sage, right?" Naruto, being familiar with the room from all his time spent there, walked towards a fairly open area before sitting down.

"Yeah…" Beast-Boy replied cautiously. He did not like the look on the Blonde's face.

"Well, most of my more powerful techniques need to be used in Sage Mode." Technically, he could also use them with Kurama's chakra, but so far he'd only gathered a tenth of his over-all reserves, and Naruto was saving up to protect Raven. "But I obviously can't use it in battle without putting you at risk. So, I've decided to do something about it."

"How?" Beast-Boy asked, getting more concerned as the conversation progressed. He tried to scoot towards the door, but found his way blocked by Raven. Her smirk didn't inspire much confidence.

"By practicing of course!" Was the happy reply. "I'm going to enter Sage Mode, and when you space out, Raven's going to smack some sense into you!"

He looked between the two of them and sighed in defeat. "This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Oh yeah." Raven answered.

* * *

"I think we made some good progress." Naruto nodded as the trio entered the main room.

"We did, didn't we?" Foregoing her usual monotone, allowing some satisfaction to seep into her voice. "Same time tomorrow?"

Behind them, a battered Beast-Boy groaned, "Whyyyy."

Robin looked at them in slight concern. "What happened to him?"

"Training." Raven replied simply.

"He was training?" He asked, surprised that he had done so without being ordered to.

Naruto made eye contact with Raven, his eyes pleading. They seemed to have a silent argument, before apparently reaching an agreement. "We're still working on fetch, but we did get him to stay." She said casually, walking past her stunned leader into the kitchen.

* * *

"You enjoyed that." Naruto claimed, having joined Raven in the kitchen.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She denied.

"Come on, you know you did! You hide it well, but I can tell you're a prankster at heart. And it's my job as your friend to bring it to the surface!" Raven had an amazing sense of humor, though she usually hid it behind sarcasm. Raven had explained to him how her powers were tied to her emotions, and that if she felt too strongly, they could get out of control. While he hadn't seen any evidence of this, he took her word for it. However, one of the most important lessons he'd learned when training in Kurama's chakra was that you had to embrace all aspects of yourself. As such, he'd been trying to get her to open up more.

Before he could say more, Raven held out her hand, seemingly waiting for something. He grumbled as he dug into his ninja pouch, producing a scroll. "Worth it." He said as he handed it over. '_What she doesn't know is that I just got another ramen scroll. That one's basically empty anyw-_'

"The other one as well." Raven ordered.

A now sweating Naruto glanced around rapidly before asking, "What other one? That's my ramen scroll."

"Yes, this is the one you got a week ago. I know you just got a new one. Now hand it over." Knowing he'd lost, he did so. "Don't be such a baby, it's only two days."

"Yes! Two days without the food of the gods! How am I going to survive?"

* * *

The next day the Titans found Robin in his room, packing a bag. "Robin, you are leaving us?" Starfire questioned.

"I have to." He answered, not looking around.

"Dude, you got your butt kicked. It happens." Beast-Boy said in an attempt to get him to stay.

"Happens to some of us more than others" Raven quipped.

"Anyway, it doesn't mean you have to quit." He continued, shaking off his irritation.

Naruto recognized Robin's expression. It wasn't one of defeat, but rather determination. "He's not quitting."

"You're right, I'm not. But my fight with Katarou showed me how much I still have to learn about martial arts." He said, scowling darkly.

"No problem, I can help you train. I've got a new simulated fight sequence in the gym!" Cyborg went through several fighting poses as he spoke.

"I've already trained with the best, and apparently it wasn't enough. There's only one person who can help me."

**'_Wow. Brooding, leaving for power. If he starts ranting about revenge, I'm going to take over and kill him. We are NOT dealing with another Sasuke._'**

'_He's not that bad…_' Naruto defended uncertainly.

"You are going after the true master of whom the villain spoke?" Starfire guessed.

"I'm not coming back until I find him."

"What! Oh come on man, how do you even know this 'true master' is even a good guy! How are you going to find him!? Do you even know where you're goin'?" Cyborg questioned dramatically, pointing in Robins face.

"I'm not sure." Robin admitted.

"Sounds like a plan." Raven commented sarcastically as she sat on the bed.

"According to legend, the true master lives in the mountains on the other side of the world, and can be found only by the most serious of students."

Beast boy raised his hand before declaring excitedly, "Oh, I'm in. when do we leave? What should I pack? Will I need shots? This is going to be so cool."

"I have to go alone." Robin denied, leaving the room.

"That guy takes himself way too seriously." Cyborg observed.

* * *

Naruto was walking down the hall when his prankster-sense started tingling. Hoping Raven had somehow converted, he followed it to Robin's room. There, Cyborg stood menacingly over Starfire and Beast-Boy, both of whom were wearing Robin's uniform. "I can't believe you two would just barge into Robin's room when he's gone, dress up in his uniform, and pretend to be Robin!" He scolded, holding the pose for a second, before pulling a complete 180 and whining, "Without me!"

"Hahaha!" Beast-Boy laughed, realizing he'd been had. "Dude, suit up!" He said, giving him a uniform.

"Oh yes, come Robining with us!" Starfire exclaimed in joy. "It is most delightful!"

"Mind if I join?" They heard above them, drawing a shrill scream of surprise from Beast-Boy.

Looking up, the Titans saw Naruto standing on the ceiling. Flipping to the floor, he grabbed a uniform and held it up. "A bit small, but it'll fit. I wonder if I can get Raven to try?"

Starfire smiled as she saw an opportunity. "Glorious! You wish to do the role-play with friend Raven?" She asked 'innocently'.

As Cyborg and Naruto froze to stare at her, the oblivious Beast-Boy cried, "Yes! That would be awesome!"

'_No, it can't be! She's so innocent. There's no way she can mean THAT!_' Naruto thought, wiping away a small trickle of blood from his nose. '_Still, I wonder wha- NO! Bad thoughts! You are NOT a pervert! Stupid Ero-Sennin, he's still trying to corrupt me!_'

* * *

Raven walked in on… an unusual sight to say the least. Her teammates were all dressed in Robin's uniform. Cyborg was making engine noises while rocking on Robin's motorcycle, Starfire was playing with a grappling hook, Beast-Boy was on the ground for some reason, and Naruto was doing trick shots with birdarangs. "Well, this is just disturbing."

"Disturbing yet magnificent! Join us! I never knew wearing a cape was so much fun!" Starfire implored as she pranced around Raven. "It is wonderful to be Robin!" She continued, getting in her face.

"Yeah, he has all the best stuff!" Cyborg corroborated, waddling over on the R-Cycle.

"Uh, right." Raven replied, unsure.

"Come on! Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be Robin? You know you want to try it." Beast-Boy encouraged as all four Titans stood before her.

She locked gazes with Naruto. While she couldn't see his eyes through the mask, she just knew they were pleading with her. "Four days." She said, confusing everyone but Naruto.

"What, No!"

"Do you want me to join or not?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

Later, the five Robin-dressed Titans were lounging around the table in the main room. "Would you like another slice of the cheese, Robin?" Starfire asked as she cut a slice with a birdarang.

"Thanks, Robin." Beast-Boy replied, grabbing the slice then passing the box off to Cyborg using a staff. "Got room for another one, Robin?"

"Don't mind if I do, Robin." He replied before stuffing the whole pizza, sans the missing slice, in his mouth.

"This is actually pretty good Robin." Raven, now dressed in Robin's uniform, commented as she ate some ramen from a cup, much to the distress of a crying Naruto.

"Robin, can I have some? Please?" He pleaded with his hands clasped together.

"Hmm, no." She quipped, prompting a fresh wave of tears. "You know Robins, I have to admit. The mask makes me feel… cool." Raven said with a blush, not noticing the figure behind her. Upon noticing the horrified expressions of her teammates, she looked over her shoulder and did a double take. She quickly joined the others on their couch, dragging the suddenly dry-faced Naruto behind her.

"Huh, pizza. Sweet." Robin jumped onto the couch and grabbed a slice. "You know, Robins... the mask makes me feel cool, too." He happily ate his pizza as the others fell backwards, crashing to the floor.

* * *

It has been a good day, he decided. Sure, he'd lost his ramen for four days (five if you counted yesterday), but he'd gotten Raven to loosen up some. She'd needed it. As he lay in his bed, Naruto pictured her smile. '_Definitely worth it._'

* * *

"Mega-sonic sound! Ultra-plasmic Display! Phase shield amp! And to top it all off, a brand new, hot-off-the-shelf, impossible-to-find-anywhere Game Station XL!"

As Cyborg introduced each increasingly over-sized device, Beast-Boy's eyes grew larger and larger, until Cyborg pulled the giant, impossibly bright console from it's tiny box. Beast-Boy, unable to contain himself any longer, released tears of joy. "It's… beautiful!"

"I'm glad you're upgrading Ops, Cyborg but is any of this actually going to help us fight crime?" Robin asked, shielding himself from the glare with his cape.

"Uh, sure?" He responded hesitantly, still holding the glowing box.

"Why is it so bright. Better yet, how? It's not even plugged in?" Naruto asked. He may still be new to much of the technology in this world, but even back in the Elemental Nations, they'd had the basics. That knowledge had grown since his arrival, though there was still a fair ways to go.

"I stopped questioning things like this a long time ago." Raven answered in resignation.

Over in the kitchen, Starfire examined a tall white box on the counter. "And for what purpose is this crime fighting device?" She poked it, accidentally setting the thing off. "Eek!" she yelped as a barrel extended from the top. It launched several waffles, some butter, and a fork into the air as it dispensed a plate and orange juice to the side. The waffles landed on the plate before being covered in butter and impaled by the fork.

Cyborg posed proudly, before Raven held up one of the pastries. "Evil beware, we have waffles." She deadpanned.

"I like this stuff as much as the next guy, but don't you think it's a little… big?" Robin asked.

"Come on, guys, this is the future. If we don't keep up, it'll just leave us behind. Besides, don't you want to hear the new equalizer?" He asked, enticing three of them while Naruto stood to the side with Raven. Before Cyborg could press the button on the wall sized device, he was struck by lightning before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

The other Titans looked at where he'd disappeared, wide eyed, and Starfire mechanically chewed her waffle. "Okay. Before anybody says anything, that was totally not my fault."

* * *

"Finally." Raven said in relief.

"What'd you find?" Naruto commented from his position sitting on the bed, sealing away his empty ramen cup. After he had commented on the similarities between Cyborg's disappearance and his summoning jutsu, Robin asked Raven to try to find the spell, if that's what it was, that had taken their friend. Having no better way to help, Naruto had decided to keep Raven company while she researched in her room, unaware of the others' shock.

They'd been there for most of the day. Since they had both been hungry and it had already been three days, she'd allowed him to make them some ramen. Provided, of course, that he not spill a single drop. When teasing him with it the other day, Raven had found she quite liked the noodles. Of course, it wasn't "the food of the Gods" as her friend, and secret crush, so eloquently put it, but it was pretty good.

"You were right, it was a summoning. But it didn't take him to a different dimension," She showed him the illustration on the book. "It sent him back in time."

* * *

"Are you sure this will work?" Robin asked. The five of them were currently standing back in the ops room. Using a mixture of science and magic, they'd managed to lock onto Cyborgs sonic cannon. Apparently, he'd been summoned from five thousand years ago.

"It should." She replied simply, before her eyes lit up with power. "Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!" She shouted as her magic coalesced in the form of a large raven around her as a swirling vortex formed. Her soul-self extended its claw through the portal, before it retracted, pulling a figure through the ports. "I think it worked." Raven clarified uncertainly as they crowded around the person.

"Cyborg?" Robin questioned.

Cyborg, clad in some sort of stone armor, rushed the closing vortex. "Sarasim!" He cried, just missing it before it vanished. "No! Send me back!"

"Cyborg, it is us! You're friends! You are home!" Starfire told him.

"The village! It's under attack!" He grabbed Raven by her shoulders. "They need me!" He cried desperately.

"It was kind of a one-way deal." An uncomfortable Raven awkwardly informed him.

Beast-Boy was about to speak before Naruto quickly clapped his hand over his mouth. He didn't know what the changeling was about to say, but he was sure that it wouldn't help. Judging from his appearance and what he'd said, it was clear that they'd pulled him from the middle of a battle of some sort, and that he'd been with someone he cared about.

"I made a promise. They were counting on me." A depressed Cyborg said, causing Naruto to flinch.

"Cyborg, I'm sorry. We had no idea." Robin apologized.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye." He said, walking away.

* * *

In his room, a now armorless Cyborg flexed his hand. "Welcome to the future." He said in resignation. As he placed his sword on a stand in front of his armor, Naruto opened the door.

"It's hard isn't it. Not knowing." He said, walking towards the large man. "You constantly wonder what happened, hoping that those you left are ok."

"Yeah." Came the dull reply. A tear fell from his eye. "We were being over-run. Without me, I don't know if they could survive. Serasim-"

Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off. "You can't do this. You can't wonder what could have been. You have to have faith that your friends pulled through." He paused, before continuing. "When I told you that I was sent while fighting a traitor, that was only part of the story." Cyborg looked at him then, giving him his attention. Naruto had told them some about his past, but he usually avoided the exact circumstances of his arrival.

"Before that, we were fighting a war against a madman. A lot of stuff happened, and I lost a good friend. We eventually won, but everyone except me and my team were trapped in an eternal dream world. We needed Sasuke's help to free them, but... he betrayed us instead. I didn't get any sleep my first night here. I kept wondering what happened, and if everyone was ok. It was eating me up inside."

Cyborg was struck by the similarities in their situations. "What did you do? You seem fine now." He asked.

"I was lucky. the next day I was able to contact home. Apparently Sasuke had turned a new leaf after I left and freed everyone. But before that, my friend helped me."

"Friend?"

"Kurama." Cyborg vaguely remembered something about a fox spirit. "He's been sealed inside me since birth. He kept me grounded, and reminded me that I wasn't alone." Naruto locked gazes with him. "You're not alone either, Cyborg."

A moment passed, before he nodded. "Thanks."

"No problem."

As he said this, the door opened again, revealing Raven. She nodded at Naruto, who sighed in relief, before she turned to Cyborg. "I have something to show you." She said. She placed a book on the table and turned to a specific page.

"Sarasim," He breathed in surprise. "She did it! They won!" He exclaimed as he studied the picture of a female warrior standing victoriously over a large green humanoid.

Raven turned to a different page. "Apparently, they had help. That's you, isn't it?" She questioned, pointing to a man. He nodded. "Interesting, you're the only one without armor."

"Yeah, didn't need it." He sat down to look through the book as the others left to give him privacy.

* * *

She didn't want to be here. She really didn't, but, she had to do this. She owed it to him. So, she knocked on the door.

It took a moment before Naruto opened it, rubbing his eyes. "Hey Raven-chan, what's up?" He asked, yawning.

"Can I come in?" She asked. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

He got a good look at her before frowning. "Of course." He moved to the side, all tiredness gone. Whatever had Raven here at one in the morning had clearly upset her. Most wouldn't notice, but he'd spent enough time around her that he'd recognized the slight tensing in her shoulders, as well as the imperceptible strain on her face.

He sat on the bed and motioned for her to join him, which she did. "When… I was looking for the spell that took Cyborg, I found something. It's complicated, and it would be a one-way ticket, but," She took a deep breath before looking at him in the eyes. "I can send you home."

He… he could go home! He could see his friends. He could become Hokage! He grinned. This was great! He could… leave. His smile slowly fell. He'd never be able to come back. He could never sleep in the tower, or hang out with the Titans. '_I could never see Raven again._' It was this last thought that really bothered him. He liked the other Titan's, he really did. They were his friends. But his dream, his village, and his other friends were back in the Elemental Nations. But, could he really leave Raven?

It wasn't just that he felt he had to help her with Trigon, though that was a small part of it. It was her. It was everything about her. Her smile, which she'd begun to show more. Her laugh, which sounded so beautiful. Their teasing, meditating together, spending time together, everything. He… couldn't. He couldn't leave her. She inspired feelings in him that he'd never felt before. It was like all the pain he'd been through, all his suffering, just faded into a distant memory, only to be replaced by a feeling of bliss. His feelings for Sakura hadn't even come close to what he felt for the girl sitting next to him. At this thought, he made his decision.

As he came out of his reverie, Naruto realized Raven had been talking. "… take a few days to prepare the spell, and you'll need to send a beacon with the toads, but-"

"Raven." He interrupted her. "I'm not going."

"What?" She asked, surprised.

"I'm staying here." '_with you._' He added in his head.

Raven turned away. "If this is about Trigon, then-"

"This is not about him." Naruto denied.

Her head whipped around and she snapped at him. "Then why!" All the stress she'd been bottling up, what with Cyborg and Trigon and now this, came bursting out. "You have friends there! You have a surrogate mother! You can be Hokage! You're a hero there, it'll be easy to make the family you've always wanted! So why! Why are you staying here!" A lifetime spent under the prophesy had made her believe that she was destined to be alone. Her friends had been slowly helping her through that, but after Malchior, she'd convinced herself that she'd never be wanted romantically. It's why she'd never acted on her feelings for the whiskered blonde, and it was why she was totally blind-sided by what Naruto said next.

"Because you're here."

"What?"

"I don't know how to explain it." He explained, frustrated. "When I'm with you I'm… happy. I feel more at peace than I ever have before. And the thought of leaving you… it physically hurts. I just can't." He gazed into her eyes, talking with such emotion that it was a wonder he couldn't hear her heartbeat. "I- I think I…. that I-"

Anyone who knew him would be shocked. The blonde idiot who always spoke his mind, that could turn enemies into friends with a speech, was struggling to say a few words. Luckily for him, Raven had decided that she didn't need words as she pulled Naruto into a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6 - Acceptance

**Authors Note: Sorry for the delayed update guys. I've been a bit busy. Just know that I will not abandon this story.**

**ZonZus****: That an amazing idea and I absolutely love it. Thank you for the idea. Having a Cybernetic arm to store fūinjutsu seals that can be used on the fly is awesome. I'm honestly considering it, despite my earlier decision against a new arm. If I don't do it in this fic, I will definitely try to incorporate it sometime in future fics.**

**Now, there are moments in this chapter that it may seem like Raven is a sort of damsel-in-distress type of character. That is not what I'm going for. Raven is a strong character, but everyone is allowed to feel vulnerable at some point. Remember, she's dealing with the end of the world, by her hands. Even the strongest would have moments of doubt. Don't worry, it won't last long at all. **

**I do not… wait, let me get this.  
*Picks up phone*  
Yes, this is TheQuietSage. … Are you serious! You got me the rights! How!? ... Oh, not cool. That was a jerk move. … No, it wasn't funny! … Look, can I just talk to you later? I'm in the middle of a thing. … Ok, fine. I'll tell her you said hi.  
*Hangs up phone*.  
Where was I. Oh, right. I do not own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans. **

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Naruto melted into the kiss. It was clumsy and unpracticed, but to them, it didn't matter. Raven, her arms around Naruto's neck, was surprised when she felt him wrap his arm around her waist to pull her closer. Now practically in his lap, Raven reveled in his muscled physique. He wasn't bulky or overwhelming, but he was firm, without an ounce of fat on his body. She felt secure… safe, for the first time in forever, wrapped in his embrace. She poured all her emotion into the kiss, all the love, fear, and hope that she'd felt but bottled up for the past month. For once, she allowed herself to feel full force, without worrying about the consequences. Surprisingly, nothing blew up. She didn't question it though; instead she deepened the kiss.

After a minute of heated kissing, they reluctantly separated to breath. In his eyes, she could see her own emotions reflected back at her. "I love you." She had never thought she would say those words, to anyone. Yet, as she spoke them now, she found that she'd never uttered a more true statement.

Naruto teared up a little. Having grown up alone and hated, he could count his remaining hand the number of times he'd heard those words on. As far as he knew, aside from Sakura's false confession, none of them had been meant in a romantic sense. Yet, here was this beautiful woman, who by now knew him better than anyone still alive, confessing her love to him. "I love you too." He replied as a tear of joy slid down his face.

* * *

Naruto sat, writing in a scroll. After Raven had eventually gone back to her room, he'd felt a new resolve fill him. Trigon _WOULD NOT_ get her! He refused to allow it. The problem was that even with his around-the-clock research, he still hadn't found a way to stop him. He'd been about to wake Kurama up from the seal, when the obvious occurred to him. '_Stupid!_' Trigon was a demon of immense power, just like his friend. He didn't need to find a way to defeat him, he already had one. He awkwardly rolled up the scroll with his left hand. He didn't sleep with his henge and after Raven had arrived, he hadn't wanted to put it on. While the temporary hand was great for doing things, he couldn't feel with it. And with Raven, that was exactly what he'd wanted to do.

While it was still a bit difficult to wright with his left hand, he'd managed. Sure, he could have just henged a new one after Raven left, but he wanted experience writing with his own limb. If he was going to do this, it was better if he wasn't reliant on such a fragile construct.

He bit his thumb and executed a few rapid one-handed seals before he slammed his palm on the ground. "I need you to get this to Tsunade. It's important." Even though Kakashi had recently become Hokage, something he'd had mixed feeling over, he didn't trust the man for a quick response. Tsunade, at least, wouldn't take several days.

"At this time of night? Are you _trying_ to get me killed?" Apparently, this part of Earth conveniently shared the same day-night cycle.

"Just tell her that I'll get her some of Gamabunta's special sake."

The toad whistled appreciatively. "How ya' gonna manage that!?" Gamabunta had a stash of the most potent sake Naruto had ever seen, and between Jiraiya and Tsunade, he'd seen a lot. The chief toad made it himself as a sort of hobby; well, that and drinking it. Unfortunately, he was extremely protective of the stuff. He had no problem sharing a drink, but he rarely let anyone take a bottle with them. Not even his sons knew where he kept it all.

"I'm sure I'll think of something."

"If you're sure…" The toad said before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Satisfied, Naruto went back to bed.

* * *

Raven walked onto the roof with a smile. They'd held each other for a little over an hour last night. She hadn't wanted to leave, but she was worried that the others would get the wrong idea.

When she saw him, her smile grew. "Good morning Naruto."

He looked up at her with his toad like eyes. "Morning Raven-hime."

"What does that mean?" She asked, sitting down. Usually, she'd meditate across from him, but this time she sat right next to him, almost touching shoulders.

"Oh," Naruto responded as he remembered that suffixes apparently didn't translate for her. "It means princess."

Raven blushed. "But I'm not a princess."

"To me you are." Naruto said sincerely.

Raven took a quickly glanced around to make sure that they mere alone before she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She sounded almost shy, as she was still unfamiliar with displaying her emotions.

"For what?" Naruto asked, his head tilted in confusion.

Raven smiled. "For being you."

* * *

Naruto sat peacefully, immersed in the calming energy of nature. As had become normal, thoughts of Raven dominated his mind. Last night had been amazing. Raven loved him. She _loved_ him. It was exhilarating, to love someone and have them return the feeling.

He had to focus though. She was in danger. He'd already taken the first steps by sending his request to Tsunade. But what if she couldn't find them? What if he couldn't do it. What if he failed her? What IF- He forced himself to take a calming breath. Something wasn't right. It felt like when Kurama was still fighting him, like another's emotions were influencing his own. But it wasn't anger this time, it was fear.

The source was outside himself, but it seemed familiar. It kind of reminded him of- "Raven!" He exclaimed as his eyes shot open. He quickly turned to face her and saw that she was shaking. Sweat shown on her meditating body as her mind struggled with something. Worst of all, Slade's mark glowed brightly around her gemstone.

**'_KIT-_'**

He grabbed her shoulder, intent to snap her out of it, before his vision shifted.

* * *

Raven looked down upon the Mark of Skath while surrounded by the ruins of the city. "Tick-Tock Raven, time is running out." Slade's voice echoed.

"I'm not afraid of you!" she defiantly claimed.

"Silly girl," Slade said as he appeared behind her. "I'm not the one to be afraid of." She faced him to find him stalking towards her. Slade forced her to back up towards the edge of the roof. "You know that." He added, disappearing in a flash of lightning.

She looked around in concealed panic as fire rained from the sky. **"What you have concealed you shall become!"** Trigon's booming voice demanded. Two large fireballs hurtled towards her; however, she was able to erect a barrier just before impact.

"It's a lie!" Raven defied as the fire burned around her. "I won't let this happen! I'll find a way!"

A menacing shadow walked through the fire towards her. "Your optimism is really adorable."

Before Slade could continue his speech, a cheerful voice sounded from behind Raven. "I know! It's one of her best qualities."

"Naruto!?" Raven exclaimed in shock.

"So, your name is Naruto. I must say, I'm quite impressed that you're here. It takes a lot of skill to subvert the will of Trigon."

"Heh," Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It was kind of an accident, ya know." If Slade had been a lesser man, he would have face faulted. Even still, he was sorely tempted.

**"Insolent mortal! How dare you interfere!"**

Naruto turned to the still stunned Raven. "Was that Trigon?" he asked, to which he received a nod in return. "Oi, Trigon!" He shouted to the sky. "I have a bone to pick with you!"

**"And just what might that be?"** He asked, slightly amused by the tiny human.

"How dare you treat Raven like this, you bastard! You have no right!"

**"I am her father! She exists only because I allow it. Her sole purpose is to serve me!"**

"That's a load of crap and you know it! A father is supposed to love their kids, to care for them! Yet here you are, trying to make her kill herself for you! Until you start acting the part, you have no right to call yourself her father!"

**"What you say matters not mortal. Her destiny shall be fulfilled. The portal must be opened!"**

* * *

Two pairs of eyes shot open, before Raven launched herself into Naruto. He pulled her close with his henged arm while stroking her hair comfortingly with his real one.

**'_Kit! Where were you!_'**

'_I was just having a chat with Trigon._' He replied.

**'_Of course you did._'** Honestly, why was he even surprised at this point. **'_And how did that go?_'** He asked in resignation.

Naruto looked at the crying Raven in his arms. '_He's a bastard._' He mentally growled. '_If I ever see him, I'm gonna have to beat some sense into him._'

**'_Of course you are._'**

Back in the real world only a few seconds had passed. "It's ok, Raven-hime. He's gone." Naruto said softly.

"Naruto… I'm… afraid."

Raven was one of the strongest people he knew, and to see her like this… Naruto felt his heart break. "I know, but he won't get you." He lifted her chin so she would look at him. "We'll stop him. Together."

* * *

After Raven had calmed down, the two of them had headed to her room to do some research. "How much time do we have?" Naruto asked as they looked at a book.

"Not long. The mark's a warning. It means he's coming."

Naruto could tell that she was working hard to keep her composure. He could practically feel her turmoil. "Ok, so we just need to be ready for when he does." He said optimistically, before turning somber. "Raven," He said gently. "I think we should tell the others."

"What! No! They can't get involved!"

"They already are." Naruto spoke softly as ever. "They are your friends, and they will always protect you." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "They won't leave you. It's ok to be scared, but have faith in them. We'll need their help to get through this."

"I- I don't know." She answered, conflicted.

"That's alright. I won't make you do anything. I'll support you no matter what you decide." He smiled comfortingly. "I'll always be there for you. That's a promise of a lifetime."

Encouraged by his support, Raven made her decision. "You're right." She pulled so she could see his face. "There's something I need to try first. After that, I'll tell them." She walked around her room, gathering supplies. "We're going to Azarath."

* * *

They sat facing each other inside a circle of powder and candles. "You don't have to come with me."

"Do you want me to come?"

"Well, yes but-"

"Then I'm coming. I promised, didn't I?" He grinned.

She had to smile in response. It felt nice, to be loved. "Place your hand on the cover, and get ready." Upon his doing so, she began to chant. "_Azarath Metrion Zinthos...Carazon Rakashas Endere...Vaserix Endrien Azarath...Azarath, Azarath!_" As she chanted, a field of energy formed from the powder circle, streaching to the roof, where it formed a portal. Upon her final words, the duo was sucked into the portal.

Naruto looked around in awe at the tunnel of light flying past them. That awe was ruined, however, as several apparitions screeched past them. "Tell me those weren't ghosts." Naruto pleaded.

"Those weren't ghosts." Raven obliged, making no effort to hide the fact that she was lying. Suddenly, they felt a heat from the rear, and looked back to see a wall of fire headed towards them.

"Oh, that's not good." Naruto said.

"You think?" Raven asked sarcastically. She grabbed his hand and flew faster, trying to outpace the flames. Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough as they began to envelope them. "Hold on!" She called, summoning her soul-self to protect them.

Naruto watched from within as the flames failed to penetrate the black energy. '_Huh, kind of reminds me of our transformation Kurama._' He thought idlily as the ethereal bird lashed out. In several swift strikes, it dispelled the fire before vanishing.

They flew further until their path was blocked by a large purple runic barrier. Undeterred, Raven charged forward, still dragging Naruto. As she strained against the barrier, her gem glowed brightly. "Let us in!" She shouted as she breached the wards. In a flash of light, they were ejected from the spell, landing at the edge of a cliff.

"Ow." Naruto said as he looked up from the ground. "Wow." Unable to say anything else, he just gazed at the sprawling metropolis in front of him.

"Welcome, Naruto, to Azarath. My home."

* * *

"Hello!" Raven called as she walked down the empty streets.

"Uh, Raven? Is it usually so… quiet?" Naruto asked. So far, they had yet to see a single soul. Honestly, it was a little creepy.

"No. It's not like I was expecting a parade, but…" She trailed off as she caught sight of a dove flying overhead. "Follow me." She said as the went after the bird. It led them through the streets until it flew to the top of a large structure with a glowing depiction of a dove. There, it landed on a figure clad in a white robe. "Arella!" Raven called as she flew, carrying Naruto by the hand, to meet her. The woman attempted to enter the building before she arrived, but to no avail. "Wait! I've come back." She stopped upon hearing Raven's words. "Mother, please. Help me."

'_That's her mother? Then why was she avoiding us?_'

**'_I don't know kit. Something doesn't seem right._'**

"You always had a home here, my child." Arella finally turned to look at her daughter. "But help we could not give."

"The prophesy… it's happening. You have to tell me how to stop it." She pleaded, holding the book out to her mother.

"Nothing could be done. The promise of your birth was absolute."

Unable to stand by, Naruto spoke. "You're wrong. As long as you don't give up, there's always something that you can do!"

"Young Sage," She said, addressing the surprised Naruto. "Surely as a child of prophesy you know that fate is absolute."

This elicited a laugh from him. "That's exactly why I _know_ that you're wrong. Everything I accomplished, all my victories, were not because of some prophesy. Destiny did not help me. I had to give my own sweat, blood, and tears every step of the way! I did it all because I never gave up! Sure, I fulfilled the Toad's prophesy, but I've defied fate more times than I can count!" They both stared at him in surprise, and in Raven's case, hope. "As a failure, I should never have defeated Neji, but I did. As dead last, I shouldn't have been able to survive as a ninja, much less defeat a Goddess. I have defied Priestess Shion's vision of my death. I befriended Kurama, the kyuubi no kitsune, and the other Biju after centuries of hatred. And most of all, as a Jinchūriki, I was destined to live my life alone. But back home, I had the entire Elemental Nations fight on my side! I had a whole village full of friends! And here," He looked at Raven with immeasurable adoration. "Here, I've found something that should have been impossible. I found love." He turned back to Arella with determination burning in his eyes. "And I'll be damned if I let fate take that away from me! So don't tell me that nothing can be done!"

As Raven listened in wonder, Arella remained resigned. "Your words are inspiring, but futile. It is too late for Earth, just as it was too late for Azarath." She vanished, as did the city. In its place was a fiery wasteland.

"No." Raven breathed in horror as Trigon's sinister laugh echoed around them. As they stared at the four glowing eyes hovering above them, they were enveloped in a flash of light.

* * *

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Naruto comforted Raven as she cried into his chest, both of them on their knees. Her home, her people, her mother. They were all gone.

"I can't," Raven got out through her sobs. "I can't stop him." She locked her tearful gaze on him. "I'm not like you. I'm not strong enough to defy fate."

"What are you talking about? You do it every day."

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You were born for a purpose, to destroy the world. You were supposed to be a force for evil, right?" She nodded, looking depressed. "And yet, here you are. Here, in this tower full of heroes. Here, where you spend your time risking your life to help people. You were supposed to be evil, but you are one of the best people I have ever met." He smiled. Not his usual wide grin, but a smaller smile that somehow conveyed even more. "If that isn't defying fate, then I don't know what is. You _are_ strong enough, and you aren't alone. We _will_ stop him."

For the first time, Raven believed. She believed that they had a chance. "Thank you." She dried her tears and stood up. "Let's-"

Before she could finish, there was a knock at the door. "Any luck finding the symbol?" Robin's slightly muffled voice asked.

Raven took a deep breath. "Yes." She said resolutely as Naruto looked on with pride.

* * *

**Authors Note: Ok, I know that this was cut short. Like I said, I've been busy. Today was actually my first chance to write since the last update. I wanted to get something out so you guys weren't kept waiting, but I didn't want to rush the fight scene. You deserve better than that. **

**So, next chapter is the fight with Slade. It's going to be longer than in cannon and I'm going to give it my all.**

**One again, I am not going to abandon this story. With college, the updates might be a little irregular, but I will not stop until Trigon is defeated. And probably a little after that.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Confrontation

**Authors Note: Thank you all for your interest in this story. It means a great deal. Unfortunately, I've learned that I was being way too optimistic with an update every 2-3 days. However, I will keep posting as quickly as possible. Again, thank you for the support.**

**This chapter contains my first original fight scene. It's not super long, but I hope I did a good job.**

**"Gamaton" was a name I got off of the Naruto Wiki. In this fic, he's a messenger toad. I don't know what he is in the manga/anime.**

**Get-Me-The-Rights-No-Jutsu! ... ... Darn it! It didn't work! Oh well. I guess I still don't own Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

As Naruto, Robin, and Raven entered ops, Starfire exclaimed, "Friends! It is most fortunate that you have arrived! Cyborg was correct. The symbol is not of the Earth. What I have discovered is most disturbing." The whole team gathered around a printout of the mark on the table. She pulled a pointer rod from… somewhere and gestured at a spot on the page. "Please, give your attention to this quadrant. In the folklore of the Zargac nomads, markings such as these were used as a prelude to the Goulding." As she spoke, Naruto grew more and more confused.

"Actually…" Beast-Boy tried to interrupt Starfire, only to be ignored.

"A savage ritual that-" She stopped as Raven peeled off the part she'd indicated.

She examined it before turning to a sheepish Beast-Boy. "Tofu?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Heh, it's tofu calzone. My bad." Raven tossed it to him, hitting him in the face.

"Oh, never mind then." Starfire said dejectedly.

"It doesn't matter. Raven, you said you knew what it was?" Robin asked.

"Yes." She looked over at Naruto, who gave her a nod of encouragement. This interaction did not go unnoticed by Robin. "It's the mark of Skath. He was worshiped by an ancient order who-" She was interrupted as the alarm sounded. They turned to look at the large screen to see Slade's trademark 'S' prominently on display.

"Slade." Robin growled.

* * *

In an abandoned part of the city, Slade blew up several buildings with blasts of fire. "I do love my job." He said as he charged another blast in his hand. Before he could fire, a beam of sonic power destroyed it.

"Vandalism? I'd say you hit an all new low, Slade." Robin commented. Looking up, Slade saw the Boy Wonder and his his team, as well as the blonde nuisance.

"The Teen Titans. And I see you brought Raven's little guard dog."

"Heh," Naruto gave a short laugh. "She doesn't need me to protect her, trust me."

"Regardless, as you can see, I'm right in the middle of something." He gestured to the surrounding rubble. "I'll deal with you in a few minutes."

"No. We'll deal with you now." Robin declared.

"You can't always get what you want, Robin." Slade brought his reignited hands together and slammed them into the ground, creating a flaming shock-wave that the team managed to avoid.

"Titan's! Split up and take him down!" Robin commanded as Slade leapt from building to building, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Despite his confidence in her, Naruto joined Raven in her pursuit; with her flying as he ran along the sides of buildings. "_Doesn't Slade know that this whole block is slated for demolition?" _He heard Cyborg comment over the coms.

"_Since when does Slade need an excuse to wreck stuff?_" Beast-Boy commented.

Robin suddenly intercepted Slade mid-jump, kicking him into a stack of barrels.

"Why did you come back? Did you get these powers from Skath? What does he want?" Robin demanded.

"Oh, so the girl told you about him. I wonder if she told you who he really is?" Slade questioned as he slowly walked towards Robin. Seeing his expression, he tisked in disappointment. "No? Pity."

"Well, she was going to, but you kind of interrupted our meeting." Naruto said casually as he landed next to Robin.

"How nice of you to join us. I'm actually glad you're here Naruto. You make things so much more interesting."

As Robin pondered how Slade knew his friend's name, Naruto spread his arms. "Yeah? Well I wouldn't want to keep you waiting then."

Before Slade could ask what he meant, he heard a cry of "Rasengan!" and felt a horrible grinding sensation in his back. The attack exploded, propelling him past Robin into a wall. "How's that for interesting!" Naruto yelled as his clone popped.

"You're quite full of surprises, aren't you?" Slade commented as he stood up. He spread his arms and created a large fireball. "Well, so am I." He launched the flaming orb, only for it to be stopped by a wall of black energy.

"What do you want?" Raven asked as her barrier faded.

"Only what any messenger wants, Raven. For their message to be heard." He said ominously. "It's time your friends learned the truth. And if you don't tell them, I will."

"As Naruto already said, I was already planning to." This time, Raven was the one advancing towards him. She knew he wouldn't hurt her. After all, she was Trigon's precious gem. Raven could finally get him back for all the torment he'd put her through. And since she couldn't kill him, there was no reason for her to hold back. "Still, while you're here, _you_ can deliver a message for _me_."

The other Titans arrived to see her envelope Slade with her powers. She thrust her hands forward and slammed him into a building, before twisting and hurling him into another. Finally, she lifted him high and brought him crashing to the ground, creating a small crater. Her bout of violence had dislodged her hood and parted her cloak, revealing the glowing runes as she levitated towards her battered foe. "You tell him that he'll have to destroy me before I help him!"

Slade pulled himself up to a knee. "You can tell him yourself. The hour is near. Neither you nor your crippled pet can stop it."

Raven saw red at the jibe and pulled the nearby wall down on top of him. She then freed him, only to bash him against every available surface. She held him mid-air and closed her extended hand, causing all the rubble to crash into him. Finally, Raven's soul-self manifested around her, and she yelled as she sent it racing towards him. Slade's eye barely had time to widen in surprise before it collided with him. The resulting explosion covered the area in dust, obscuring the spectators' vision for a few moments.

'_Is it wrong for me to think that was hot?_' Naruto asked Kurama.

**'_No kit. No it is not._'**

'_Just checking._'

"I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Raven declared as the dust settled to reveal Slade, his head bent at an unnatural angle.

Slade snapped his bones back into place. "You might not fear me, but look who's afraid of you." He said as he phased into the ground.

She turned to see her friends' shocked expressions. She turned away, not wanting to face their fear, when she heard Naruto's voice: "Awesome."

* * *

"The ancient order that worshiped him used the name 'Skath' to protect the true identity of their master. We know him... as Trigon." Raven explained back in ops.

Cyborg recoiled in shock. "Are you serious? That's who we're up against? Oh, man!"

"His cruelty is legendary, even on my world." Starfire added.

"So, what makes you go all glowy in the dark?" Beast-Boy asked.

Raven felt Naruto place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Much to the surprise of the others, she gave him a small smile in thanks before answering. "It's a warning. It means Trigon is coming, and the way he gets here is through me." She took a deep breath. "There's a prophesy: _'The Gem was born of evil's fire. The Gem shall be his portal. He comes to claim. He comes to sire. The end of all things mortal._'" The others shuddered. "I'm not just a person. I'm the gem, his portal."

"But Raven, why you?" Robin asked.

"Because, Trigon… is my father." She said as she stood up. "But I have no intention of letting him through. I-" Naruto coughed, catching her attention. She smiled again. "Sorry, _we_ will stop him."

"I just have one question." Cyborg said as we went over to them. "How can we help?"

* * *

"NO!" Raven cried as she jolted awake. It took her a few minutes to realize she was sitting up in her bed, before she fell back on her pillow groaning. Even with everyone's support, her remaining doubts and insecurities plagued her mind. She glanced at her clock before groaning again. After hours of lying awake, made worse by her inability to meditate, she'd only managed a paltry half-hour of sleep. It had been much the same after Slade first returned on her sixteenth birthday, but at least she'd still been able to meditate. Raven was about to resign herself to a sleepless night when an idea struck her.

* * *

Currently, Naruto was pacing his room. He'd known about Trigon for over two weeks now, but today had driven home just how much danger Raven was in. Sure, as a ninja, his friends were constantly in danger, but... this was Raven. He'd never cared about anyone this strongly. Despite only fully realizing his feelings the night before, he couldn't imagine life without her.

After dreaming of her death for the third time, he'd stopped trying to sleep. While he wanted nothing more than to go check on Raven, he refused to interrupt her rest. He suddenly stopped pacing as, for the second time in as many nights, he heard someone knocking. An illogical surge of relief filled him when saw who it was.

* * *

Raven watched as several intense emotions flashed across Naruto's face before he pulled her into a tight hug. She only hesitated a moment out of surprise, then returned it full force. Apparently, she wasn't the only one in need of comfort tonight.

He pulled back after a minute. "Sorry." He apologized.

"Don't be." She studied him. "Nightmares?" He nodded. Raven knew he had them on occasion, but this seemed more than that. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He moved aside to allow into his room. As the door closed, he sat heavily on his bed. While he didn't want to worry Raven, he knew he couldn't lie to her. When he felt her settle next to him, he spoke. "I- I couldn't save you. I tried everything, but... you still died." Tears welled in his eyes as he locked gazes with her. "I can't lose you."

This time, Raven initiated the hug, wrapping her arms around him. "You won't." She said with a new conviction. She realized he was just as scared as she was, and, in some odd way, that comforted her. He was just as scared as she was, if for different reasons. He wasn't fearless, but he was still willing to take on Trigon, an all-powerful demon, for her. She came here for comfort, only to be the one comforting him. And she was alright with that. "I'm not going anywhere. We're going to stop him together, remember?"

"Thanks, Raven-hime. That- that really helps." He wiped away his tears, before realizing that she was the one that sought him out. "I'm sorry. You came here, and I just dumped all this on you."

She frowned. "Naruto, you've helped me so much. _Never_ think that you shouldn't talk to me about stuff like this. Trust me, you can't bottle all this up. "

"But-"

"No." She needed him to understand this. "I'm here for you, just as much as you're here for me."

He smiled, still wrapped in her embrace. "Alright." They just sat there for a bit, enjoying the other's presence, before he asked, "Why did you come her."

"I couldn't sleep either." Raven admitted

"Do _you_ want to talk about it?"

"No, just being here helps." It was true. Whenever she was with him, she felt safe, secure. She felt loved. And she really didn't want it to end. "Can… can I sleep here?" She asked. "I don't want to leave."

"Of course." Naruto replied, like it was the simplest thing in the world.

* * *

Deep inside a volcanic cavern, Slade bowed towards the demonic eyes of Trigon. "I have failed. The portal refuses to accept her fate. She draws strength from the boy."

**"He has become an annoyance. His presence protects her mind as she slumbers, though I know not how. He must be eliminated."**

"What of his claims to the mother's remnant?" He questioned. "If true, then he's much more than an annoyance."

**"I suspect he spoke of a false deity. No mere Sage can defeat a goddess. Even if true, he still poses no threat to me. Go dispose of him. Do not fail me a second time."**

* * *

Raven frowned in irritation as light from the window landed on her face. She'd just had the best sleep since, well, forever, and she didn't want to wake up. She pulled her warm pillow closer and smiled as it tightened its hold on her. Wait… She opened her eyes in confusion to see a shock of blond hair. She almost recoiled until she saw who it belonged to. As memories of the previous night filtered into her sleep-addled mind, she sighed in contentment. Snuggling deeper into Naruto's chest, her smile grew as she drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Naruto stirred, oddly reluctant to wake. Usually he was up at the crack of dawn, eager to meet Raven for their morning meditation. His eyes snapped open and he immediately noticed that the sun was already up. '_Shit!_' He thought as he sat up. Or, he would have, but someone was holding him down.

"Hm, five more minutes." Hearing the groan, he looked down and smiled fondly at Raven's sleeping form. Even while sleeping, she was still the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. He lay there, content to watch her as she slept.

Eventually though, Raven stirred. "Good morning Hime." Naruto greeted as she awoke.

"Morning." She replied groggily.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good. Better than I have in a long time." Her content expression seemed to amplify her natural beauty, making it hard for him to breath. "How about you? Any nightmares?"

"None at all." Kami, he wished they could do this every night.

"Can I come back tonight?" She asked echoing his desires.

"Always." He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, causing her flush in a strange mixture of pleasure and embarrassment.

* * *

As they exited Naruto's bedroom, hand in hand, he thought he saw a flash of movement down the hall. He looked closer, before deciding that it was nothing.

Since all the Titans slept in their uniform in case of emergencies, aside from their shoes, there was no need for Raven to go back to her room. Instead, they just headed straight for the main room hand. As they neared ops, they locked gazes for a moment before moving respectable distance from each other. They weren't trying to hide their relationship per say, but they kind of wanted to be able to enjoy it without the others hounding them about it. For some reason, Naruto felt that it would be a bad idea to tell Starfire.

"Look who finally decided to show up!" Cyborg boomed from the kitchen. He stood behind the counter in a chef's hat and apron. "What'll you have? We have eggs, bacon, waffles, bacon, sausage… and more bacon." As he spoke, multiple hands seemed to materialize out of midair to point at each dish. By this point, Naruto was somewhat used to the Titan's strange variations of the sunset genjutsu. It could actually be fairly entertaining sometimes.

"Hit me up with some bacon!" Naruto requested, getting a heaping plate from the large man.

"I'm good." Raven said, a teapot appearing in a burst of black energy on one of the empty stoves.

Robin and Beast-Boy watched in fascination as Naruto ate plate after plate of food.

"Where does he put it all?" Robin whispered.

"I don't know. He eats almost as much as Cy." Beast-Boy whispered back.

"Friend Raven! I have acquired the medication for you!" Starfire exclaimed as she flew up to Raven. In her hand, she held out two small pills.

"Why are you giving be pain killers?" Raven asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"You are experiencing soreness, yes? I have read that it's quite common after your first time engaging in sexual intercourse."

Raven's whole body flushed a beat red as several jaws hit the ground. For several seconds, the only sound in the room came from Naruto savagely beating his chest in an attempt to dislodge the food he was choking on. Well, there was also Kurama's uncontrollable laughter, but only Naruto could hear that.

"Ex-Excuse me?" Raven sputtered. Surely, she'd heard her wrong.

"Oh, of course you are excused! I merely stated that the medication was to help with your after-sex soreness. Tell me, was it most pleasurable?" She 'innocently' asked with a peculiar giggle.

As Naruto was still suffocating, and none of the others had ever heard it before, Kurama was the only one to recognize the laugh. **'_By the Sage, she IS a pervert!_'** He thought as his laughter grew. **'_That's HILARIOUS!_'**

Snapping out of his stupor, Cyborg slid over. "Hold up!" Cyborg demanded. "You're telling me that Raven, our Raven, had sex!"

"Yes!" Starfire confirmed before Raven could deny it.

"Who?!" Cyborg asked in a dangerous tone. Normally he wouldn't be so angry, after all Raven could make her own choices. But last night had been very stressful for all of them, and _someone_ had taken advantage of her emotional state to sleep with her!

Naruto had finally cleared his throat, and he barely had time to realize the danger he was in before Starfire answered. "With friend Naruto of course!"

Time seemed to stop for a moment at the declaration, before Cyborg yelled, "NARUTO!" and charged him with his frying pan. Raven was almost like a sister, and his protective instincts easily overrode his friendship with the blonde.

During his training trip, Naruto had learned that running just made the eventual beating worse. The best you could do was beg for mercy, even if you were innocent (Jiraiya had framed Naruto for his peeking multiple times). Thus, Naruto raised his arm to protect his face and closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. When several seconds passed with no pain, he looked up to find the pan barely an inch from his face encased with Raven's magic.

"Enough!"

"But-" The still furious Cyborg tried to argue.

"We did not have sex!" Raven shouted, before lowering Cyborg to the ground. As he calmed down and Naruto wept tears of relief, she rubbed her temples. "Can I have the painkillers now?"

"But, if you did not have intercourse, why do you require it?" Starfire tilted her head in confusion, but nonetheless handed it over.

"For my headache." She groaned as she poured herself a cup of tea.

"Uh, Star?" Robin asked.

"Yes Robin?"

"Why did you think they…" He waved his hand in the air, not wanting to say the words. For once, Starfire understood exactly what he meant.

"Oh! Because Raven slept in his room." She proclaimed, causing Raven to spit out her tea.

As Cyborg rounded on Naruto again, he quickly defended himself. "We didn't do anything, I swear! I was just having nightmares and she was helping me!"

"And just how was she 'helping' you?" Kurama, who had just begun to calm down, roared with renewed laughter as he caught her innuendo. Once again, he was the only one that noticed.

"Uh…" Given Cyborg's current state, Naruto didn't really want to tell him that he'd been snuggling with her all night. Luckily, he didn't have to. Apparently, a toad randomly popping into existence on the kitchen counter was enough to distract them.

"Yo Naruto! You so owe me! That old hag nearly killed me!"

As everyone watched in shock, with the exception Raven, Naruto apologized. "Sorry about that Gamaton."

"Ah, just give me some extra candy and we're good."

Naruto paused. "Uh, I'm actually out of candy. Can I just give you some next time?"

Gamaton deadpanned at him. "Really. I risk my life for you, and you don't have any candy!"

Before he could yell some more, Starfire chose to speak. "Greetings Gamaton! I am Starfire. Please, will this beverage be acceptable?" She held out a bottle of maple syrup with a straw in it. "I personally prefer the mustard, but the syrup is very sweet." While she didn't know who the strange creature was, it clearly knew Naruto and spoke his language.

He hesitantly took the bottle and took a sip. His eyes widened in surprise. "This… This is amazing." He said with stars in his eyes.

While this was going on, the boys could only watch in confusion. "Is it just me, or did that frog just talk?" Cyborg asked. While they knew that Naruto had a way of communicating with his home, he hadn't told them the specific details. As such, they were completely unaware of his summons.

"No, it's talking alright." Robin replied.

Raven considered explaining the situation to them but decided against it.

"Uh, Gamaton? Did Tsunade send what I asked for?"

"Yes." The toad said as he nursed his drink.

Naruto waited a bit before asking, "Where is it?"

"Oh, I don't have it."

"What! Why not!" Naruto shouted, a tick mark forming on his hear.

"Ah, calm down. You'll get it, but Ma wanted to give it to you herself. Said something about makin' sure you're eating right."

Naruto paled. "She wants me to summon her? Right now?"

"Yep!" Gamaton said. "Remember to have that sake next time. I'm not risking my life without it." He added and vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Naruto turned to the Titans. "Ok, guys, if Ma offers you anything to eat, just say no." Before they could ask who Ma was, he bit his thumb and performed the technique. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"

A resounding _CRACK_ echoed through the room, though the source was obscured by the smoke. It cleared to reveal a cloaked toad standing over Naruto with a rolling pin.

"Why…" He groaned.

"It's been a month and you still haven't summoned me! You talked to Pa, but all I get are letters!?"

Cyborg stared at her, then at Beast-Boy, then back again. "Wait…" He turned back to Beast-Boy. "You mean the frog that whacked me really wasn't you?" He asked.

It took a moment to remember what he was talking about. "Ha! I told you!" Beast-Boy yelled. He then jumped back with a yelp when Cyborg was hit over the head with a _CLANK_.

"I'm a toad, not a frog!" Shima yelled.

"You can understand him?" Naruto asked in surprise, his injury somehow miraculously healed.

"No, but I always know when someone calls me a frog." She shook her rolling-pin. "Do I look like a frog to you!" She demanded.

"No mam!" He instantly denied.

"That's right." She said, before looking around. "Now where is this Raven you talk so much about?" She asked, looking around. "Ah." She walked over to Raven, having recognized her from Naruto's description. "You must be Raven! It's so nice to finally meet you."

Naruto prepared to translate, only for Raven to surprise him. "It is an honor, Sage Shima." Raven replied in Elemental.

"Oh please, call me Ma. Everyone does." Shima said.

"How…?" Naruto began to ask. After he'd learned English, he still always heard Raven talk in Elemental. But, when she spoke just then, her words felt slightly different, and by Ma's reaction, it was clear that she'd understood her.

"What, did you really think the spell only worked one way?" Raven asked rhetorically.

"Heh, guess not." He said with a smile.

"It's so nice that Naruto-chan finally got a girlfriend." Ma said. "Hopefully, you'll be able to keep him in line."

"I try." Raven answered, laughing a little with the old Sage as Naruto moped slightly.

"Girlfriend?" Starfire asked in English. Both Naruto and Raven froze, having forgotten that she could understand them.

"Dudes, you're dating!" Beast-Boy shouted in realization. He gasped, "That's why you slept in his room last night! You were cuddling!" He accused, as if cuddling was a great crime.

"Oh, like you and Terra never cuddled." Raven quipped before smacking her hands over her mouth. Terra was a sensitive subject, especially for Beast-Boy.

Fortunately, Beast-Boy didn't seem offended. "Yeah! But we never _slept_ together!"

Ma, totally lost, asked "What's the green one yelling about?"

When Naruto remained silent, rightly fearing her wrath, Starfire answered for him. "Oh, he's just talking about how Naruto slept with Raven!"

**_WHACK!_**

Shima seemed to emit an aura of pure rage as she advanced towards Naruto, who was currently embedded in the wall. "BOY! You slept with the girl after only one day!? Nuh uh! I will not let you become like Jiraiya-chan, even if I have to beat the pervert out of ya!"

"No, wait please! It's not like that!" His pleas were ignored, and this time, Raven was unable to save him.

* * *

"Sorry Naruto-chan." Ma apologized to after Raven explained that they had not, in fact, had sex.

"It's alright Ma." Naruto replied from the couch, where he was recovering. The other Titans sat on the far side of the other couch, fearing the old toad's wrath.

"Still, maybe this will help you feel better." She said as she gave him a scroll.

Naruto grinned. "Thanks!" Finally, he could get started.

"And, Lady Tsunade also sent something else." Ma held up a necklace, a green crystal hanging from it. "I wanted to give it to you myself."

He took it with a shacking hand, and everyone but Ma and Raven were shocked when they saw tears form in his eyes.

"Naruto, is that…" Raven asked.

"It's the necklace Ba-chan gave me. I thought it was destroyed?"

**(AN. Yes, I know that it was really destroyed, but I wanted to add it.)**

"Only the string. The crystal's too tough to break like that." Ma explained. "After she learned you were alive, Tsunade started looking for it. It took a while, but she eventually succeeded."

'_Kurama?_' Naruto asked.

**'_Now that we're working together, it shouldn't bother me. Go ahead and put it on._'**

His henge had dispelled with the beating, but he didn't really want to use it for this. But he didn't want to struggle with one hand either. He turned to Raven. "Can you help me put it on?"

She gave him a kind smile, "Of course." She took it from his hand and gently placed it around his neck. "It looks good on you." She observed.

* * *

Naruto was currently sitting completely still in a clearing in the uninhabited areas outside of town, where he'd gone to practice the fūinjutsu he'd gotten from Ma. In front and to his sides was a deeply shadowed forest, while a large cliff stood behind him, blocking the view of Jump City. He could have practiced in the tower, but there wasn't enough room for him to spam clones. Besides, he didn't want to blow the tower up when he inevitably made a mistake. He hadn't started yet, as he had another reason for being there.

**'_He's not going to show up._'** Kurama said.

'_Of course he is._'

**'_How do you know that?_'**

'_Simple. I'm a threat. I've interfered with his plans multiple times and I was able to hurt him. He knows he can't risk fighting me with Raven there, so he'll take the first opportunity he can to take me on alone._'

**'_That… was surprisingly well thought out. But how will he even know where you are. There's no way-_' **Kurama suddenly stopped talking.

'_You were saying?_' Naruto thought smugly, having sensed the same thing the fox had.

**'_Shut up brat._'**

"Hello, Naruto." Slade said as he emerged from the dark edges of the forest.

"Finally! I've been waiting here for twenty minutes!" Naruto complained.

This actually caught Slade off guard, though he didn't show it. "Sorry, I guess I just got lost on the road of life."

Naruto just stared at him in disbelief before bursting into laughter. '_This is the guy Trigon considers a threat._' Slade thought in a deadpan as he watched Naruto literally rolling on the ground laughing.

Though annoying, his hysteria provided an excellent opportunity. Slade launched a fireball and watched as it engulfed the blonde. Despite his apparent success, his instincts, finely honed from a lifetime of combat, were telling him to remain alert. Only by listening to them was he able to lift an arm to block the incoming kick.

Still, the force was enough to send him skidding into the clearing, stopping just shy of the smoldering log where the boy had been. It had also broke his arm, though it quickly mended itself.

"Is that it? My friend sneezed hotter ones when he was twelve!" Naruto taunted from where he'd punted Slade. Without Beast-Boy here to worry about, Naruto was able to take full advantage of his Sage mode. He, along with three hidden clones scattered throughout the forest, had been gathering natural energy while they waited for Slade to arrive. It had been through his enhanced senses that he'd been able to sense the blast and pull a quick Kawarimi. Usually he wouldn't use it so early, but he wasn't taking any chances with Raven's life on the line.

"Don't worry. I'm just getting started." Slade replied as he shot several blasts in rapid succession.

"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed, barely able to dodge by contorting his body around the beams. Slade saw this and aimed a blast near his feet to trip him up. Rather than get caught in the blast, Naruto jumped backwards and planted his feet on a nearby tree. Using his enhanced strength, he leapt into the air with enough force to topple the pine.

As he passed overhead, Naruto quickly made a clone which quickly spiral Chakra in its hand. Naruto grabbed the clone's free arm and hurled it towards Slade.

"Rasengan!" The clone yelled as it rocketed towards him.

He jumped away before resounding _BOOM_ rocked the forest. Slade's eye widened in surprise at the utter devastation the combo had wrought.

"Most impressive." He commented. The crater was at least ten feet in diameter.

"Still didn't get you though." Naruto noted as he flung several kunai, still mid-air, and went through several hand seals he'd asked Tsunade for. "Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu", causing the five he'd thrown to multiply into fifty.

"Very true." Slade said. While there were numerous very few were actually close to hitting him. Those, he knocked to the ground. He was about to rush foreward but paused as he heard a hissing sound. Slade looked down and noticed that all the knives had a slip of paper wrapped around the handles, before they all exploded.

**'_You know you can't kill him, right?_'**

'_Of course. He feels just like an Edo Tensei._'

**'_Then why didn't you wait until you're able to seal him before you picked a fight?_'**

'_He's just a pawn. Trigon would just find someone else._'

The dense smoke from the explosion started swirling around, before it began glowing. It grew brighter and brighter as flames began to appear. Soon, it had become an inferno centered around an unharmed Slade. "Did you really think that could kill me?" Slade asked as he walked out from the flames.

"Of course not! You're already dead." His words caused Slade to momentarily halt his advance. "That's why you're working for Trigon, right? He promised to bring you back to life."

"You're… a surprisingly accurate deduction. Tell me, do you simply act the fool to confuse your enemies?"

**'_I wish._'**

'_Hey!_'

"Nah," Naruto responded out loud. "That was more Obito's thing. I'm as straightforward as you can get."

"I see."

"You know Trigon's going to betray you, right." Naruto said, switching gears.

"Perhaps, but I have a plan for that."

"Even if you do come back, what then! There won't be a world left for you!"

Slade pondered his words before chuckling. "Are you actually trying to persuade me to switch sides?"

"I've done it before."

"Really." Slade said in clear disbelief. Behind Naruto, a flaming tendril emerged from the ground. "In that case, I'm going to have to decline." The flaming protrusion rushed to ensnare Naruto, but he sensed it and jumped out of the way.

"Raven might be able to help you, ya know!" He continued as if nothing had happened. "She might be able to free you and bring you back!"

"And you would just let me go?"

"Of course!"

He chuckled again. "I was wrong. You're not a fool. You're simply naive. And in this world, that's almost as bad." Slade charged him, done talking.

Naruto sighed. "I'm not as naive as you might thing." He dispelled one of his meditating clones before creating three new clones around him. One went to engage Slade as the other two channeled chakra above his outstretched hand.

"I've experienced more than you know." C-Naruto said as he ducked under a punch. "I've been through war. I've lost friends." He launched a punch at Slade's face. He moved his head to avoid it, but it still somehow made contact. "I've known loneliness! I've known hate!" Slade heard as he flew backward.

He got to his feet and heard a ringing that was far too loud to be from the impact. Looking for the source, he saw the original Naruto holding a small four-bladed sphere of energy. "But I will _never_ allow it to change who I am. I am Naruto Uzumaki, and I never give up! I _WILL_ defeat Trigon, and I _WILL_ save Raven." In a slightly quieter voice that could still be heard above the ringing, he added, "And I might be able to save you too." With that, he threw the Rasenshuriken.

Slade, too slow to dodge, took the attack full force. While Naruto had made the jutsu smaller than usual to avoid notice and cause a panic, he was still fully enveloped by a sphere of uncountable microscopic blades.

After the attack died down, Naruto walked to the steaming body, knowing that he was still 'alive', and knelt down. "Think about it. You don't want this any more than we do."

Slade only stared at him before sinking into the ground.

**'_You're too soft kit._'**

'_I know, but I had to try._'

He looked at the sun and saw that he still had plenty of time before Raven expected him back. He looked around the clearing, pleased to see that the fire hadn't spread. Still, he should probably put them out.

He made a one-handed seal. "Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He cried as over a thousand clones popped into existence. As five went to clean up the area, the others pulled out several scrolls.


	8. Chapter 8 - A Connection

**Authors Note: Guys, you are awesome. I can't thank you enough for all the support.**

**Not much happens in this, but it sets up a lot for later chapters. Also, I'm going to start trying to do more fight-scenes later. We'll see how that goes.**

**I changed the rating to M for safety. I am not planning on doing any lemons.**

**Ok… let me check… Yep! I do not own the rights to Naruto or the Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Clone-512 threw down his scroll in frustration. "Gah! Why isn't this working!"

"Didn't you read notes at the end?" Clone-626 asked. Unlike most of the others, he wasn't writing. Instead, he was just relaxing against a tree, eating some cup ramen.

512 glared at him. "So what if I didn't, at least I'm doing what I'm supposed to!"

"Well, if you had read it, you would know that you can't clone fūinjutsu. That means we can't make it with this stuff." Clone-626 waved a blank sheet of paper for emphasis.

"What!" He yelled, getting the attention of several of the, equally frustrated, surrounding clones. "You mean I've been slaving away for nothing!"

"Yep! Why do you think I'm sitting here?"

"Screw this!" As Clone-512 dispelled itself, a loud chorus of groans echoed through the clearing.

"Are you serious!"

"Come on!"

"I COULD HAVE BEEN EATING RAMEN!?"

Over three-fourths of the clones followed 512's example after receiving its memories.

The real Naruto, who had actually begun making some progress on a basic storage scroll, grabbed his head in pain and pitched forward. '_Idiots._' He thought as unconsciousness claimed him and the rest of the clones popped out of existence.

* * *

Raven withheld a smug gin. Cyborg had played a good game, but it was time to end this. As she moved her Queen across the board, she suddenly winced in pain, releasing her piece prematurely.

"Ah ha!" Cyborg, who had failed to notice her distraction, moved his rook to take advantage of the opening Raven left him. "Check mate! I finally win!" He yelled in triumph and jumped to his feet. "Go Cyborg! It's your birthday! Go Cyborg! Go Cyborg!"

While he performed some strange victory dance, Raven closed her eyes. She had easily recognized that her brief stab of pain was not hers and decided to investigate. Raven searched her mind, hoping to find some remnant that she could trace. Instead, she was shocked to find herself inside her mindscape.

It shouldn't be possible. Even without Trigon's interference, it usually took several minutes of very deliberate meditation to come here without her mirror. And on top of all of that, she didn't recognize this area.

Before her stood two lush trees, about 8 feet apart. They curved towards each other before meeting as though in an embrace. They twisted around each other and grew as one, sprouting lush greenery and blooming flowers. The only indication that they were still separate were the differences in the flowers. One had striking blue petals with a beautiful sunset-orange center, while sported the same colors, but reversed. She walked forward and placed a hand on a trunk. It felt warm, humming with life.

When she strode beneath the arch created by their joining to view it from the other side, the scenery around her changed. The trees were still there, but her mindscape was gone. The sky looked natural instead of her ominous dark. The rocky ground had been replaced with lush fields, which sported several trees that dwarfed the two she walked through. Despite their size, they seemed insignificant when compared to the beauty of the gate.

That's what it was, Raven realized. They formed a gate between my mind and…

**"Welcome, lunch!"** A booming voice rang out through the field, before a giant mass of orange landed before her, teeth bared.

Raven wasn't impressed. "Really Kurama?" She asked in a deadpan.

**"Bah, you're no fun."** Kurama complained as he pulled back. Normally, the sight of a giant demon fox baring its teeth as it threatened to eat you would be a terrifying sight, but Raven actually liked him. Naruto occasionally let Kurama take over so they could talk. At first, they'd mainly stuck to discussing Trigon, but it had since evolved into a sort of friendship.

All three of them, Raven, Naruto, and Kurama, had been feared for matters beyond their control. They had been feared and isolated, and in some cases, hated. Kurama, though, had experienced far more than either of them, and Raven was astounded that he'd managed to overcome his hate. When she had heard his story, she'd cried, and her opinion of both of them had risen greatly.

So, sure, this was her first time seeing him in the flesh, but she'd recognize his voice anywhere. "It's nice to finally see you Kurama." She said with a smile.

**"Likewise."** He stretched like a cat before laying down.

"What is that?" She asked, pointing to the tree gate. "How'd I get here?"

**"Let's wait until Naruto wakes up. I don't want to have to explain twice."** He said lazily.

"Wakes up?"

Kurama nodded his large head and brought one of his tailes around, depositing Naruto between them **"Yeah. Before you freak out, he's fine. Or, he will be. The idiot suffered some brain damage from dispelling so many clones at once."**

Raven stiffened. "Brain damage?!" She hurried over to Naruto and kneeled beside him. Placing her palms on either side of his face, she tried to heal, momentarily forgetting that this not being his real body.

**"Relax. I told you he'll be fine. He should be up in a few minutes."**

Raven sighed as lowered her hands. "How many did he make?"

**"About one-thousand."**

She groaned. "Idiot."

**"Ha! I knew there was a reason I liked you."**

* * *

Naruto woke to Raven's laughter with a smile. He may feel like crap, but hearing that beautiful noise more than made up for it. However, her next words made his blood run cold.

"He-He actually kissed Sasuke! Twice!"

**"I swear to Kami it's true! And let me tell you, that second one… There was tongue."**

This sent them both into another fit of laughter as Naruto leapt to his feet. Ignoring his pounding head, he shouted, "TRAITOR! YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER TELL HER THAT!"

Kurama sported a shit-eating grin. **"Technically, I said I wouldn't tell her while using your body."** He gave his body an exagerateed once-over. **"Well would you look at that? This isn't your body.**"

"Oh, you're gonna pay for that fuzzball!" He yelled, then blinked at Raven in confusion. "Uh, not that I don't love seeing you, but how are you here?"

"Somehow, that connects our mindscapes." She said, pointing to the tree-gate. "Kurama was going to explain, but someone over did it with their clones." She gave him a stern look. "For now on, don't train with more than one hundred."

"But-" He tried to argue.

"One. Hundred." She said, punctuating each word. "I like your mind too much for you to break it."

"Ok." He said in defeat.

**_"*cough* "Whipped." *cough*_" **Naruto glared at him, not amused by his poorly concealed jibe. **"Anyway, now that you're awake, I'll explain. From what I understand, that is the original link you two formed when you first met. The one that let you understand each other."**

"I thought you said it wasn't strong enough to do anything like this?" Raven asked in confusion. After spending a month with him, she was confident that nothing short of her anger getting loose would be a real threat to Naruto. Even then, she had her doubts that anger would even want to hurt him.

**"It wasn't. Back then, it barely even let you talk to each other. If it had been left alone, it would have disappeared entirely. But for some reason, the closer you two got, the stronger the link became. Eventually, two saplings sprouted and grew towards each other, though they only met when you got together.**

"You know, that's kind of romantic." Naruto commented to Raven.

**"And the flowers bloomed when you slept together. Now, I was sleeping, but I can only assume they appeared because you took _her_ flower."** Kurama finished with a straight face.

"That's not what happened and you know it, you perverted Fox!" Naruto yelled indignantly.

Raven only blushed, slightly desensitized from that morning.

**"Do I? I guess we'll never know." **Oh, he was enjoying himself. Kurama made a mental note to thank Starfire if he ever got the chance. **"Though in all seriousness, this shouldn't have happened."**

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

**"Linking two mindscapes together like this is next to impossible. This isn't some simple mind reading tequnique; it's a litteral bridge between your minds beyond the confines of space-time. Us Biju have our shared plane, but that's only because we were originally one entity. To develop your small bond into something like this should have taken years, if not decades, of deliberate manipulation. And yet you two did it in a month. On accident."** As they stared a at him in open shock, he grinned. **"Congratulations Naruto. Even here, you're still the number one most unpredictable shinobi."**

* * *

"Hey Raven! Raaaaveeen! Are you home?" Beast-Boy flitted around, poking her at different angles. "RAVEN!" She didn't even flinch when he shouted in her ear. He'd been looking for Naruto so they could practice with Naruto's sage mode, so naturally he'd gone to Raven. Unfortunately, she seemed dead to the world.

Suddenly, he got an idea. A dangerous idea. An idea so horribly risky that you'd have to be clinically insane to even attempt it. So naturally, Beast-Boy rushed to get supplies.

* * *

They sat together by the gate, holding hands in a comfortable silence. It was nice. After everything that had happened over the past few days, it felt good to just relax with Naruto. They were still in his mindscape, though Kurama had wondered off a while ago. She smiled fondly at Naruto. They'd only been together for two days, but it felt like a lifetime.

"Hey Raven?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Yes?"

"Can we visit your mindscape? You don't have to let me if you don't want to, but I'd like to see it."

This threw Raven for a loop. "I told you what it's like. It isn't very pleasant. It isn't beautiful like this place."

Naruto frowned and locked her in place with an intense gaze. "Raven, everything about you is beautiful, flaws and all. Your mind is beautiful. It's not sinister or creepy or anything else. It's a part of you, a part that I'd love to see if you'll let me."

Raven felt her heart pounding. If it had been anyone else, she would have believed that they were just words or flattery, an exaggeration to get what they wanted. But this wasn't anyone else, this was Naruto. He always meant what he said, and he would never manipulate someone. It was one of the things she loved most about him, how completely honest he was. Despite how close they'd gotten, there was still some small part of her that believed that this couldn't be real, that one day Naruto would realize that he'd made a mistake and leave her.

Her anxieties had only been exasperated by the horrible thought that maybe their feelings weren't real, that they were some sort of side-effect from the gate. Thankfully, Kurama had quickly dispelled that notion, saying that it was the other way around. Yet the anxiety still lingered/

But, here he was, declaring his total acceptance of her. As she stared into Naruto's intense gaze, she felt the last of her worries slip away.

"Ok."

* * *

"_BEAST-BOY! What is wrong with you!?_" Cyborg asked in a fierce whisper. He'd come to ops to get a mid-day snack only to hear maniacal laughter. And what was the source of this laughter? Why, only a suicidal shapeshifter WRITING ON RAVEN'S FACE! Oh, did he forget to mention that he'd somehow wrangled her into a frilly pink tutu over her cloak?

"Relax." Beast-Boy said confidently. "She's totally out of it. Look!" He grabbed her and and, to Cyborg's horror, stuck one of her fingers up her nose. "See!" He pulled out his phone and took a selfie with her, before removing her finger. "See!"

"She is going to _KILL_ you BB! Literally kill you!

"Only if she knows about this." He argued smugly.

"Oh really? And how are you gonna' manage that?" Cyborg asked skeptically.

"All I have to do is take off the Tutu and wash off the ink before she wakes up. Boom! No evidence."

"Beast-Boy…" Cyborg said slowly. "Take a good look at that marker."

"Why? Its just an expo-marker. It's not like... I... used..." He trailed off as he read the label. Ever so slowly, his smug grin turned to an expression of horror.

* * *

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed as he looked around. "This… this is amazing." From Raven's description, he had been expecting a desolate wasteland, but to Naruto, it was strangely beautiful. The night sky was littered with blazing stars, and what looked to be several solar eclipses. None were super bright on their own, but together they cast the rocky landscape into a beautiful silver light. Several rock formations floated above them, almost protectively.

"You really think so?" She asked uncertainly, her face reddening in a cute blush.

"I do." He raised his hand to caress her cheek.

"Why?" She asked. Raven gazed into his eyes, not wanting to miss a single word.

"This place… it doesn't try. It doesn't need to. My mind took a lot of work to get it the way it is now, and even then, with all the color and vegetation, it feels artificial. Here, it feels… right. It has the same grace, the same natural beauty you do."

In response, Raven forward and claimed his lips. The kiss was gentle, but it conveyed all her love and gratitude in a way she never could with words.

After a moment, she pulled back for breath. ""I love you"" They said at the same time, causing them both to chuckle.

"You know, that was only our second kiss." Naruto observed.

"Really?" It felt like more than that.

"Yeah. Should we do something about that?" The look he gave her sent shivers down her spine.

"Please."

However, before they could do anything, a sudden shout interrupted them. "Narutooo!"

"Wha-" A pink blur tackled him to the ground.

"I'm so glad you're here! Oh, this is the best day of my life!"

Raven growled at the figure straddling her boyfriend. "What do you think you're doing!"

Her pink counterpart giggled. "I'm sorry! But I just couldn't stop myself!"

"I'm… guessing you're happy." Naruto managed from under her weight. Seriously, she weighed more than the real Raven. He didn't even know emotions had weight!

"Yep!" She popped her 'p'.

"Maybe you should remove yourself from his body, seeing as you are currently depriving him of oxygen." A new voice suggested.

"Oops. Sorry." Happy apologized as she got up.

This allowed Naruto to see seven more Ravens, each wearing a different cloak. "Thank you… knowledge?" He thanked the bespectacled girl.

"That is correct. And you are very welcome."

Raven had described each of her emotions to him. Knowledge wore yellow, Rude wore orange, Bravery green, Rudeness orange, Sloth brown, Anger red, Timid grey, and Passion…

"Yes." The Purple cloaked emotion purred as she sauntered over to Naruto. "Now I can have my turn." She said as she trailed a finger down his arm, causing him to shiver. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "_We're going to have so much Fun._"

"Get off him!" Anger yelled as she yanked Passion away. "Stop acting like a slut!" Naruto went wide-eyed, having never expected to hear Raven's voice say that. "And YOU!" She pointed angrily at Naruto. "Stop..." She seemed to struggle for a second. "Being so handsome! It makes it hard to be mad at you!" She stomped away, dragging the protesting Passion with her.

"I never thought I'd be thankful for Anger." Raven muttered.

"You're telling me! I thought she was going to rape me!" Naruto shouted.

"You don't think I'm attractive?" This came from Timid, who stared at him with teary eyes.

Even though she was only an emotion, Naruto could never stand to see any part of Raven cry. "Of course I do." He said as he rushed over and enveloped her in a hug. "You're the most beautiful girl… emotion I know."

Raven, even though he wasn't technically talking to her, smiled.

"So what's the hold up? *_BUURRRP*_" Rudeness let out. "With those clones of yours, we could have a pretty good time."

"That could be dangerous." Knowledge commented as Naruto, Raven, and Timid sported full-body blushes.

"Bring it on! Danger is my middle name!" Bravery challenged.

"Yes! And we can join in!" Passion added as she rejoined them, somehow having escaped Anger.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Said emotion screeched.

As they debated the merits of clone sex, Raven snapped out of her funk.

"We're leaving." Raven said. She grabbed Naruto and, leaving Timid, walked back through the gate.

* * *

"… The Bahamas have such beautiful beaches, but Niagara falls are so romantic. Or how about Venice! Or maybe Italy, or Fiji, or Rome or-"

"Shut up Harley!"

"-or Paris, or…"

Poison Ivy sighed as Harley Quinn continued fantasizing about vacationing with her precious 'Mr. J'. Usually, Ivy could just tune her out, but she was on edge. For the past month, The Green had been crying out to her, begging her to find someone. It was driving her crazy, but she couldn't, because she was stuck in this damned cell! And Harley was still talking!

"Hello Pamela."

She turned to face the voice. "Isn't this a surprise. I heard you were dead."

Slade emerged from the shadows outside her cell. "And yet here I am."

She snorted. "And to just what do I owe the pleasure for your visit?"

"I have a… problem, you could say. See, there's this boy that's interfering with my plans, and you're the perfect person to ask for help."

She leaned forward, interested. "And why me? We both know you rarely call for help. And even then, you've never come to me."

"It's the boy, Naruto. From my understanding, he seems to have quite the connection to nature." At the name, The Green's call increased drastically, causing her to flinch slightly. This did not go unnoticed by Slade. "I assume you're interested?"

"What do you want me to do to him?" She asked, still weary.

"I don't care, as long as he's gone." Alarms began blaring in the background. "It seems we've run out of time. So tell me, are you in?"


	9. Chapter 9 - The Bet

**Authors Note: So here it is. I hope you enjoy.**

**I have learned a valuable lesson. ALWAYS! HIT! THE! SAVE! BUTTON!**

**Also, I'm posting a new story later today. Keep an eye out.**

**Seeing as though there hasn't been an official crossover between the two yet, I guess I don't own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Today had been a good day for Naruto. Sure, he'd suffered some teasing, and he still had a killer headache, but he'd been able to spend several hours alone with Raven in his mindscape. Right now, he was leisurely walking home, enjoying the quiet tranquility of the forest.

Unfortunately, the tranquility was not meant to last, as a distant battle-cry rang throughout the forest. **"BEAST-BOY!"**.

Naruto flinched, not just from the intensity of the shout, but also the surge of righteous fury he was now able to recognize as Raven's. Fearing for his friend's life, he broke into a sprint. '_Sweet Kami! What did that idiot do!?_' Several seconds passed without a response. '_Kurama?_' Naruto prompted.

**'_Eh, probably something stupid, like writing on her face._'**

'_No way! He may not be the smartest kid, but he's not suicidal._'

**'_Wanna bet?_'**

As he kept his current pace, Naruto asked, '_Are you seriously asking me to bet on my friend's life?_'

**'_Yes._'**

'..._Ok I'll bite. What are the terms._'

**'_If I win, I get to use your body for a day._'**

'_Kurama, you know you don't need a bet for some time out, right? You just need to ask._'

**'_You didn't let me finish brat. I get a day… and you can't watch._'**

Now, this concerned Naruto. While he had no problems letting Kurama out every now and then, if the Biju didn't want him to watch, it meant he was planning something Naruto wouldn't like. Still, he trusted Kurama not to rampage or anything. And besides, what were the odds he was right.

'_Alright. But if I win, I get to make you pink. And you have to show the Biju and Yin Kurama in the shared mindscape._'  
**(AN: Just a reminder, the half with Naruto is the one that was originally sealed into him.)  
**Yes, they could both still enter the Biju's shared mindscape. They both visited on occasion to check in on them. Most had gone their separate ways, with a few exceptions. Naruto wasn't really surprised to learn that Gyūki had stayed with B, but what really shocked him was that Shukaku chose to live near Suna to act as a protector of sorts. He was still slightly insane, but he'd apparently come to like Gaara during the war.

The thing was, even though some power could be exchanged through it, like what they did for Naruto in the war, it couldn't be used to transport consciousness. If it could, they would have used it to escape into Naruto, rather than become part of the Juubi. Still, it allowed both halves of Kurama to slowly balance their respective Yin-Yang Chakra with each other. The process would be completed around the same time Yang Kurama (As he was still called for clarity's sake) would finish filling his reserves. They would both only have half their strength when they were combined, but now they would be balanced. Besides, even at half strength, he'd been able to handle several of the others.

Kurama only hesitated for a second, which, in hindsight, should have probably worried Naruto. **'_Deal._'**

* * *

"Now hang on Rae, I know you're mad, but that's no reason to-"

"Move." Raven commanded.

"Yes ma'am." Cyborg whimpered as he stepped aside, allowing Raven access to Beast-Boy's room. Loyalty only went so far after all. Besides, if Beast-Boyhad just listened to him, then he wouldn't need a guard.

***_Begin Flashback_***

_"Why you're still here? You should be half-way to Gotham by now!" Cyborg, in his infinite generosity, had bought Beast-Boy a one-way buss ticket to Gotham in hopes that he could escape Raven._

_"See, that's exactly what Raven would expect!" The changeling explained from beneath a pile of clothes. "She knows I'd try to run, and then she'd use some magic, and Boom, I'm dead. She'll never expect me to hide in my room!"_

***_End Flashback_***

Unfortunately for Beast-Boy, Raven knew him well enough to expect this ploy, and in her rage, none of the other Titans even tried to stop her. She walked through the door and looked around, instantly locking onto the pile of cloths. She levitated it away to reveal a cowering Beast-Boy.

"Mercy!" He whimpered, before he morphed into a puppy with what had to be the saddest eyes she had ever seen.

"Sorry, I'm all out of mercy." She said, his ploy having no effect.

* * *

'_Prepare to eat your words._' Naruto thought as he entered ops. How did he know BB and Raven were there? Why, all he had to do was follow the muffled cries for help. However, Naruto was not prepared for the sight he wanked in on. What he saw… it would be enough to give Orochimaru nightmares.

Beast-Boy floated, suspended by his underwear, as Starfire force fed him some sickly green concoction she had obviously made herself. He shivered, remembering the last time he'd tried something Star had made. Naruto was 80% sure it was alive this time. Scratch that, it's definitely alive, if the way it's now trying to strangle the green teen was any indication. As Starfire casually blasted the tentacles, Naruto walked to the counter where Raven sat. It slightly concerned him that her hood was up, but that could be for any number of reasons.

'_Moment of truth furball._'

"So, what did he do this time?" He asked.

She removed her hood, not saying a word, revealing a, surprisingly detailed, depiction of a monocle and bushy mustache in bold black ink.

"Damn it Beast-Boy!" Naruto shouted, rounding on him. "You could have done anything else! Literally anything else!"

"Naruto?" Raven said in a dangerously sweet voice. He slowly turned to face her. Kami, that smile was terrifying, even with the Beast-Boy's additions. "Why are you so upset? You didn't encourage him to do this, did you?"

"NO! No no no no." He denied frantically, waving his hand in in front of him. "I would never do that to you! It's just that this cost me a bet against Kurama. I swear I didn't encourage this!"

"Oh." She said in a tone that in no way relieved him. "So then, you were betting on my suffering?" She asked.

Naruto suddenly became paler than the previously-mentioned Snake Sannin. Thanks to years of dealing with temperamental women like Sakura and Tsunade, he knew there was no escape. "Mercy?" He requested weakly.

"Like I already told Beast-Boy, I'm all out." Instead of lashing out at him like the other women in his life would have, she called out "Hey Starfire!"

She paused, a spoonful of slightly burnt green goop inches from Beast-Boys lips. "Yes, friend Raven?"

"Naruto said he'd love to try a bite of your pudding of punishment."

Her words caused Naruto to somehow pale further. He'd originally assumed that Raven had somehow tricked Starfire into making some Tamaranean delicacy that was at least supposed to be edible. If Starfire's dishes were horrible when she was trying to make it taste good, then what horror did she cook up as a punishment.

"But Naruto, why would you wish to taste the pudding of punishment? It has a most unpleasant flavor."

"Oh, he said he didn't want Beast-Boy top suffer alone." She gave him a look. "Isn't that right?"

Now, Naruto had two options. He could either eat this, most likely poisonous, concoction, or he could have Raven angry at him for an unspecified amount of time. "Of course." Naruto said weakly. "No Titan left behind."

**'_What do you think you're doing!?_'** Kurama demanded in genuine panic.

'_What I have to.'_ Naruto replied resolutely.

**'_You idiot! That's suicide!_'**

'_I've got you to fix me up, remember._'

**'_You're seriously overestimating my abilities kid._'**

Starfire floated over to him. "If you insist." She said, handing him the spoon. He studied it. From a distance, it appeared smooth, but up close, it was covered in tiny hairs, and it pulsed periodically. "Down the hatch." He said. Closing his eyes and, ignoring Kurama's continued protests, he placed the contents into his mouth. He chewed slowly, waiting for the horrible flavor to hit, but it never did.

He swallowed and opened his eyes, confused. "Well, it wasn't pleasant." He said, uncertainly.

"Oh yes. The pudding of punishment is one of the harshest disciplinary measures used on Tamaran. I am not surprised you found it to be lacking in the pleasantness." Humming, she floated back over to Beast-Boy, who's panicked squirming increased at her approach.

"Is he faking it?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"No." Came Raven's reply. He turned to her, about to let her know about the pudding, only to see a glob of the stuff floating beside her. "You didn't think I'd actually let you eat this stuff, did you?" She asked with a smirk.

"You are _evil._" Naruto claimed, though his poorly concealed smile betrayed his true feelings. A thought occurred to him, and he allowed the grin to split his face. "You realize what this means right?" She cocked her head in confusion. "You just pranked me! This was your first prank!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She denied, replacing her hood and standing.

"Yes you do! Admit it!"

"Nope." She walked out of the room, Naruto following.

"Come on, this is a great achievement! A milestone! Think of all the pranks we can pull together."

As the voices faded down the hall, the magic holding Beast-Boys undergarments vanished, allowing him to fall to the ground. "Thank you." He groaned.

* * *

"Cyborg, You got a minute?" Naruto called over the noise.

He rolled out from under the T-Car. "Sure, what's up?" He asked, standing.

"You know how I was working on fūinjutsu earlier?" Naruto asked, getting a nod in return.

"That stuff the Toad Lady gave you after she beat the tar out of ya."

Naruto shuddered at the memory. "Yeah, well turns out I need a crap ton of paper for it, and Raven said you could help me get it with that internet thing."

"Before I do," Cyborg said sternly, "I feel that I need to remind you about something." He walked towards Naruto, towering over him as he invaded his personal space. "You realize that if you hurt Raven, you're gonna have four _very_ pissed off titans after you, right?"

Naruto didn't back down, instead meeting his gaze with equal intensity. "Trust me, if I _do _hurt her, I'll gladly accept you do after I finish punishing myself." Naruto replied honestly.

Cyborg held his position for a moment before nodding, satisfied. "As long as we understand each other." He said as he backed off, going to a wall terminal.

"Of course…. Besides" Naruto added "After Raven gets through with me, I doubt there'd be much left for either of us."

Cyborg chuckled as he typed away at the monitor. "Ain't that the truth." It only took him a few more seconds to find what he was looking for. "Alright, I've found an paper supplier that'll do the trick." He looked at Naruto. "I'm assuming you're gonna be using your clones for this?" He got a nod in return. "Alright then, I'll order eight industrial sized rolls, extra durable."

"Only eight? You realize I'm going to be using a hundred clones at once, right? And there's no telling how long it will take."

"Trust me, with the size they make these things, eight's probably overkill."

"It you say so." Naruto said uncertainly.

"I do say so." Cyborg began to walk back to the T-Car, only to pause. "How are you gonna use it in a fight though? I mean, Slade won't wait for you to write it out."

"I know that." Naruto agreed. "It's actually one of the reasons so few people use it back home. I'll have to make them before hand, which is difficult if you don't know who you're going to fight."

"Still, you can only carry so much." Cyborg's expression grew thoughtful. "Does it have to be ink? Cause I could easily whip up a hologram projector."

"Thanks, but that won't work. Fūinjutsu works by using ink to arrange chakra in specific patterns to achieve various results. Without chakra, the formula is useless." Naruto recited. From what he remembered from the eight clones that had actually read the entire scroll, the reason you couldn't clone fūinjutsu was because the chakra-constructed paper interfered with these patterns. It was, in theory, possible to create a working copy if he cloned the formula without the paper. His Dad actually did something similar to mark people with his Hiraishin formula, but Naruto was a long way from being able to do that.

"But does it have to be ink?" Cyborg asked again.

"Technically no. It will work as long as it holds chakra in the correct pattern, but ink is by far the easiest way to do that." Naruto headed for the door. "Anyway, thanks for the help."

"Yeah, no prob." Cyborg absently waved him off, seemingly deep in thought.

* * *

"So, what's the plan Red?" Harley asked as she lounged on one of the beds in their hotel room. "Mr. PG Two-Face wants us to take care of little Fishcake as soon as possible." Not many people knew this, but back when she was still sane, Harleen Quinzel minored in Japanese at college, and apparently Naruto was one of the few words the language shared with Elemental. Go figure.

"PG Two-Face?" Poison Ivy asked tiredly. It had only been half a day since they'd broken out of Arkham, and she was already questioning her sanity for bringing the girl with her. Ivy got enough of her antics back in prison.

"Ya' know! His mask's got two parts, but it's not ugly enough to scare the kids!" Harley tapped her chin in thought. "I wonder if he does birthday parties?"

"Yes, I'm sure that Slade, the super villain, makes money at birthday parties." She said sarcastically.

"Ooh! Can he come to mine! Can he? Can he?"

"Alright! Sure, you can hire him for your party."

"Yay!"

Ivy huffed and, wanting to change the subject, answered her original question. "As for Naruto, for now we wait." She slowly extended a tube of lipstick. "When the opportunity presents itself, I have a _special_ gift for him."

"Aw!" Harley complained. "Waitin's so boring! Can't we just blow something up?"

"No."

"Pretty please!"

"No Harley!"

"What if it's something really small, like a car!"

"Harley!"

* * *

Naruto awoke, for the second time, in Raven's arms. '_I could get used to this._' He thought.

**'_Not today you're not! Remember, today's my turn._'** Kurama said gleefully.

Now Naruto was genuinely concerned. Not for the city or the world, but for his reputation. Who knew what sort of things he might do while in his body or what sort of stories he might tell the others. He froze as he remembered the one thing that Kurama must, under absolutely no circumstances, tell Raven.

**'_Don't worry brat. I won't tell your little vixen about Shion._ _I'm saving that bit of blackmail for a rainy day._'**

'_That's not very reassuring._'

**'_Who said it was supposed to be?_'**

Grumbling at his partner, Naruto shook Raven awake. Even with bed hair, she was still beautiful. Of course, it helped that she'd been able to remove Beast-Boy's accessories with rubbing alcohol. "Mm. Morning Naruto." She greeted wearily.

"Morning Hime." He responded fondly, and gave her a soft kiss which she gladly returned.

"She glanced out through a crack in the curtains and saw that the sun had just begun to rise. "Why'd you get me up so early? We usually wait a little before meditating."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah… remember that bet I lost to Kurama?" She nodded. "Well, the deal was that he gets my body for today, unsupervised." Raven raised a brow in slight surprise. Like Naruto, she trusted him not to abuse his body, but the unsupervised bit was a bit strange. "I just wanted to see my beautiful girlfriend again before I handed it over."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Raven leaned closer. "I'd hate to give this to the wrong person." She said as she pulled him into a longer kiss.

**'_Ahem._'** Kurama interrupted after a minute. **'_As much as I enjoy watching you make out, I have some things to do today._'**

Naruto sighed, puling away. "The fuzzball's getting pushy. Keep an eye on him?" He requested as he got out of the bed. Only he got to be in bed with her.

"Sure thing." Raven agreed.

Satisfied, Naruto closed his eyes. When he opened them, red silted eyes had replaced his intense blue ones.


	10. Chapter 10 - Kurama's Day Out

**Authors Note: We are ten chapters in dattebayo! Here's a slightly longer chapter to celebrate!**

**If you haven't seen my RWBY Crossover, A Toad In Remnant, check it out. It's still in that cannon-ish phase, but that will change next chapter. I have big plans for it.**

**Seeing as though there hasn't been an official crossover between the two yet, I guess I don't own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

**"Hello Flesh-bags, Starfire."** Starfire and Robin looked up from their breakfast at Kurama's greeting.

"Flesh-bag!?" Cyborg yelled from the couch.

**"Sorry,"** Kurama said as he opened the fridge. **"I forgot. That term doesn't quite apply to you, does it?"**

As Cyborg fumed, Robin cautiously approached. "Are you ok Naruto? You're not acting like yourself."

"That's because he's not Naruto." Raven said, having entered with Kurama.

"Then who is he, if not our friend Naruto?" Starfire asked.

Kurama, after much rummaging, pulled a full leg of ham from the fridge. **"That's right, you lot haven't met me yet. I'm Kurama."**

Starfire floated over to him. "You are Naruto's fox friend that lives in his stomach, yes?"

**"That I am."**

"So why are you here?" Robin asked, still cautious.

**"The brat lost a bet, I won it, and now I get to use his body for the day."** He took a large bite of ham.** "Relax bird boy,"** He added when Robin remained tense.** "I'm not going to destroy the world or anything."**

"Then why aren't you letting Naruto watch?" Raven questioned.

**"Because it'll bother the kid."** Kurama laughed.** "He's going to spend the next twelve hours wondering what I'm doing, and how I'll mess with him, without having any way to find out." **Well, that was part of it. There was something he had to do without Naruto knowing, but that shouldn't take very long. **'_Besides, Naruto has his own problems._**' Kurama thought as he tossed the ham in the air and, elongating his jaw past what seemed possible, swallowed it whole.

***Inside Naruto's Mindscape***

"Stupid fox, taking my body." Naruto grumbled. "You better not touch my ramen!" He shouted at his friend's prone form. Of course, no response came. He sighed. "This is going to be a long day."

He was about to just take a nap when a voice called from behind him. "Narutooo."

Naruto momentarily froze, recognizing the speaker, before glaring at Kurama's body. "Oh, you bastard."

***Back In The Real World***

Kurama snickered when he heard the blonde's words, knowing full well what they meant. "So, if you're not gonna' go all evil, what _are_ you going to do?" Cyborg asked the fox plopped down beside him.

**"Whatever I feel like, metal man."** Kurama looked around the room. **"Where's the green one?" **He asked with feigned disinterest.

"BB's still in bed." Cyborg answered, seemingly unbothered by his proximity. If Naruto and Raven trusted Kurama, that was good enough for him. "Whatever that goop Star cooked up sure did a number on him."

**"Ha! Of course he is." **He gave Starfire an appreciative look. **"I'm impressed you have the stomach for such torture. I'm curious, what did you do with the rest of it?"**

Robin walked to the trash can to clear his plate as she answered. "Of course I have the stomach. In fact, I have nine." Her declaration caused everyone to freeze in shock. Even Kurama was surprised. "As for the pudding, I threw it away." As soon as she said those words, slimy green tentacles erupted from the garbage and ensnared Robin. "Was that not the correct procedure?" Starfire asked upon observing her friends' (including Kurama's) horrified expressions, completely oblivious to the carnage behind her.

* * *

"Why are we here?" Raven asked, thoroughly annoyed.

**"Why, to see the sights of course." **Kurama, or at least his clone, answered with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. It had taken a surprisingly long time to defeat Starfire's creation, and Ops was a mess. On the upside, it had given Kurama plenty of time to switch himself out with a shadow clone. Good thing too, as it had taken him several attempts to get it right. Naruto made it look so easy. Anyway, after the switch, C-Kurama had gone into town, knowing that Raven would go with him. He couldn't have her at the tower; she'd definitely be able to sense something.

They had drawn some stares, as well as a few paparazzi, but luckily the Titans lack of secret identities, and thus frequent public sightings, had made their novelty quickly wear off. Even Naruto, with his limited time on the team, could now walk through town without being mobbed. Sure, several people had asked for autographs, but as long as they avoided the die-hard fangirls, they should be fine.

**"So… where should we go?" **C-Kurama asked.

"This was your idea." Raven replied blandly.

**"Excuse me for not knowing my way around town. It's not like I've been living in Naruto's stomach or anything."** Kurama said sarcastically.

Raven sighed. "There's a good coffee shop that way." She pointed down the road.

**"Lead the way."** Hopefully the original would finish quickly, and he could leave.

* * *

As he stood in front of the door, Kurama grinned. It had been easier than expected to switch himself with a clone. He really should get Starfire a gift. Now, he could do what he'd came for.

Now, Kurama was confident in his strength, but he wasn't blinded by arrogance. He knew that, when dealing with a being on the level of the Juubi, they'd need every advantage they could get. However, Naruto would never agree to what he was planning, thus the secrecy. Even if it was probably going to work, he'd never take the chance. He was a good person like that. Kurama entered the room. It was a good thing he was a realist.

* * *

**"For a coffee shop, they have really good sandwiches."** C-Kurama observed as he scarfed down what must have been his twelfth serving. He idly wondered what would happen to the food when he dispelled. They currently were sitting at an isolated table in the far corner of the place where they were less likely to be noticed.

Raven barely looked up from her book. "You know, most people come here for the coffee, not the food."

C-Kurama scoffed. **"Bah, like I would ever drink that sludge."** Even the smell was far too strong for his liking. He was just glad Naruto wasn't fond of the drink; who knows what he'd do hyped up on caffeine, especially when he was a kid.

"Suit yourself." Raven said, going back to her book.

C-Kurama went back to his sandwiches, hiding the fact that he was bored out of his mind. You'd think a trip to a town frequented with super-villains would be exciting, but so far it had been a total let down. **'_Kami, please let something interesting happen._'**. A shrill scream tore through the shop, one he recognized: fangirls. **'_I take it back! I take it back!_'** It was too late; they'd found him. Or Naruto, whatever. **"Time to go!" **He said as he got up, dragging Raven with him. Hopefully the original would finish before things got messy.

* * *

Kurama grinned as he walked out of the room. Everything had gone smoothly, just as he knew it would. Slade and/or Trigon were in for a nasty surprise if things got rough. Still, best keep it to himself for now; who knows how Naruto would react. Or Raven. He shuddered as he recalled her punishment for Beast-Boy. If she'd done that for a little ink, what would she do for this.

It didn't really matter. No one even knew he was here. All he had to do was destroy a new clone and switch with his first when it got back. He might even let Naruto out early.

***Inside Naruto's Mindscape***

Naruto sagged against a tree, breathing heavily. He'd been running for over an hour, but she wouldn't stop!

"Come on out Naruto. I just want to have a little fun." The purple cloaked girl called suggestively. Naruto remained quiet; if he responded, she'd find him again. He couldn't fight her; Lust was part of Raven after all, but he couldn't let her have her way with him either.

He didn't even know Raven's emotions could enter his mindscape. How did that even work? If Lust was here, did that mean Raven couldn't feel it anymore? And what if he made a shadow clone? Would there be two of them? These were all great questions, and one's he didn't have the time to ponder.

"There you are!" Lust popped up next to him, eliciting a very unmanly scream from the Sage.

***Back in The Real World***

Eh, the brat could wait. After all, he'd promised Lust some time alone with Naruto for the information.

"What are you doing?" Starfire asked, making Kurama jump. Kami, how did she sneak up on him!

**"Uh, hey Starfire. I was just… uh…"**

"I thought you went to do the seeing of the sights with friend Raven?" Starfire asked in confusion. "So how are you here?"

**"*Sigh* That was a clone."**

"And why did you send Raven off with a clone?"

Kurama scratched the back of his head, a habit that Naruto's body somehow retained despite its new driver. **"I was doing something very important, but no one can know about it yet."** Hopefully never, considering that would mean things had gone very wrong.

"So, you wish for me to keep this a secret, yes?" Starfire said.

Kurama relaxed. Even if she didn't know exactly what he was doing, it wouldn't take Naruto or Raven long to make the connection if they knew where he'd been. Thank goodness that Starfire was the one that found him. **"That would be great."**

"Very well then." Starfire complied, though the new glint in her eye set Kurama on edge. "On one condition."

Uh-oh. **"And what is that?"** Kurama braced himself, fearing the worst.

"You must do the makeover with me!" Starfire chirped cheerfully.

* * *

Raven growled as they dodged another group of fangirls. They were after HER boyfriend. Granted, he wasn't exactly here right now. If he was, she'd probably kiss him senseless, just to make a point. God, that sounded nice. Then maybe she'd- Raven shook her head. This was no time for thoughts like that. She spotted an alleyway and rushed through, pulling Kurama with her. He'd already lost his jacket and left shirt sleeve; she didn't want them getting any more.

They weaved between buildings before stopping near the park. **"I think *_Huff_* we lost them."** C-Kurama panted. As if to prove him wrong, another screech echoed from across the street as a passing teen girl caught sight of them. Several more cries sounded throughout the city as the others responded; very much like a pack of wolves during a hunt.

"Or not." Raven said.

* * *

Kurama held up a hand mirror for Starfire to view herself. "Friend Kurama, I had no idea you were so talented with the makeup!" She was, surprisingly, correct. Kurama, in an impressive display of skill, had given Starfire a full makeover, complete with a new outfit (thrown together from several different items from her closet), hairstyle, and makeup.

**"What can I say, you pick up a thing or two when you spend decades trapped inside two different women."** Kurama said modestly. Honestly, he was surprised himself. He'd expected to do a poor job at best, instead, the Tamaranean looked absolutely stunning. He'd managed to make her brilliant emerald eyes pop even more, the faint blush gave her face a soft glow, and the simple braid he'd put her hair in looked… really good. Not to mention the clothes.

"Most certainly." She agreed. Starfire rose from the chair and, before he had a chance to react, shoved Kurama into it. "Your turn!"

**"What? No!"** This wasn't part of the deal. It was one thing to do Starfire; it was another thing entirely to have it done to him. He was Kurama, the strongest of the Bijū. He did _not_ wear makeup!

"No? But you promised that we could do the makeover." She said confused.

**"I meant _I_ would give _you_ the makeover, not the other way around!"** If he let Starfire have her way with him, Naruto would never let him live it down.

"Oh." Starfire said, shoulders sagging in disappointment. Honestly, her sudden depression almost made Kurama change his mind. Almost. "I guess I will just have to inform friend Raven of your whereabouts then."

**"Yeah, I guess you- WHAT!"** Was she… blackmailing him? A week ago, he would have laughed at the idea; but ever since he'd learned of her inner pervert, he was beginning to see a whole new side of Starfire. Ok, think. How to get out of this. What could he… oh. **"How about I get you some books instead?"**

"Books?" She repeated.

Kurama had to smile. All closet perverts, as he recently learned Starfire was, loved smutty books, and he just so happened to have access to the complete series of his world's bestselling porn novels, courtesy of one Cyclopean Hokage. **"You like those porn books, right? I can get you- _Glerk_" **Faster than he could react, Starfire had him pinned to the wall by the throat with a glowing hand. The other holding a Starbolt menacingly before his face.

Her entire demeanor had shifted. Gone were the eyes full of childish joy; instead fiery green orbs bored into him. "_How do you know that!?_" She hissed.

Kurama, the fearless Bijū that he was, was certainly not intimidated. He was centuries old and had seen horrors beyond comprehension. He had faced off against the Juubi without hesitation. Starfire's blazing eyes, which promised countless painful deaths, didn't scare him, nor did the demonic apparition behind her, nor did- He yelped as she tightened her grip. "_Who else knows? Don't make me ask twice!"_

**"No one, I swear! I just figured it out!"** Kurama cried through her strangle hold. Ok, so she might be a tad scary.

"_Are you sure?_"

**"Yes!"**

"_And no one will find out, correct? Especially Robin?_" She continued in her demonic hiss.

**"Of course! Cross my heart and all that!"** Kurama confirmed in a panic.

"Great!" And just like that she returned to normal and released him, allowing him to slump to the floor.

**"What *_Wheeze_* was _that?_"** Kurama wheezed.

She cocked her head. "What was what?"

Was she playing with him, or did she have some sort of split personality? Did she seriously not- You know what, he was better off not knowing. He just prayed he never had to face that again. **"Nothing."** Kurama said.

"Ok!" She chirped. "Now, you mentioned some books?"

* * *

"Mr. Naruto? Why do you sometimes not have an arm?" Timmy asked in a hushed tone.

"Well, I lost my real arm fighting a very bad person." C-Kurama explained in his best Naruto voice. He popped the henge on his arm to prove it. Or, the clone equivalent of a henge.

C-Kurama and Raven had been chased through the park by the hoard of rabid fangirls, when out of nowhere a pair of tiny hands dragged them into the bushes. Their savior was none other than an eleven-year-old boy named Timmy. Apparently, he'd come to the park with a group of classmates. He'd been having fun until one mean spirited kid had taken the opportunity to out him to his crush, prompting Timmy to hide in the bushes that they were currently hiding in. C-Kurama was impressed that the kid had been alert enough to see that they needed help despite being so upset.

Since there were some lingering fangirls combing the park, and Timmy didn't want to face Samantha, his crush, yet, they were stuck there. After cheering him up C-Kurama had found, much to his surprise, that he liked the kid. They'd been talking in hushed tones for about ten minutes.

"Woah!" The young boy whispered. "That's so cool!" He looked at C-Kurama with sparkling eyes. "How'd you do that?"

C-Kurama chuckled. "I have an ability that lets me make fake arms, but they break easily. That's why only my clones use them to fight."

The boy cocked his head. "Why don't you just get a robot arm like Cyborg? Then you could shoot sound lasers like him!"

C-Kurama grinned. "That's because I don't need them." Naruto's Rasenshuriken was far superior than those sonic cannons. Besides, his chakra arms could do anything some metal prosthetic could.

Back in his workshop, Cyborg sneezed. He shrugged, then went back to the design for his newest project.

"I didn't know you were so good with kids K - Naruto." Raven corrected herself before saying his name.

C-Kurama covered Timmy's ears. "Just don't ask me to babysit when you and the brat have kids. With how fast you two are going, it wouldn't surprise me if it happened soon." He released Timmy and burst into laughter.

"Aww, what'd you say? I couldn't hear." He complained, oblivious to the steam pouring out of Raven's ears, or the murderous intent pouring from her.

C-Kurama, on the other hand, was far too aware of these things. The only reason he wasn't running for his life, whatever that meant for a clone, was because he knew she wouldn't attack him in front of Timmy.

With her anger clouding his senses, C-Kurama was caught completely unprepared as several half-foot-wide vines burst from the ground to ensnare him, as well as Raven. Apparently, someone lacked her restraint in front of kids. "Naruto!" Timmy cried as they were dragged out from the safety of the brush.

C-Kurama found himself bound upright in vines, with only his head free, in front of a green skinned red-head in a trench coat. Looking around, he saw no signs of the fangirls, only Raven bound beside him in a similar fashion, except with a vine covering her mouth.

"What have you done with Naruto." The green lady asked, surprisingly glaring at C-Kurama with some real anger.

"That is Naruto! Now let him go!" Timmy yelled as he rushed towards her from the bushes, only to be snagged by a lady in a clown suit. Kurama felt a surge of unfamiliar protectiveness, but refrained from breaking free. He could easily do so, this lady had nothing on Hashirama, but she could easily hurt Timmy if he did. **'_Kami, I've gone soft._'** He half-hoped this was just one of those clone quirks Naruto always complained about.

"Hold your horses." The clown ordered before hanging him from a tree branch by his shirt. "The adults are talkin'" The clown turned to their captor. "Still, kid's got a point Red. Pretty sure that there's Naruto. 'Sides, I thought we were gonna' wait to do something." She tapped her chin in thought. "Not that I'm complainin' of course. I'm always up for a good tussle."

"Not now Harley!" Red snapped at her.

"What are you talking about? I'm Naruto, dattebayo!" It physically hurt C-Kurama to say the word, but he had to sell it. He didn't want Timmy to get caught in a fight.

"Cut the act." Red said. C-Kurama winced as his restraints tightened, though luckily not enough to dispel him. "I don't know what you are, and frankly, I don't care. What I want to know is what you've done with _my_ Naruto!"

"_MHPH!_" Came Raven's the muffled cry of indignation.

Deciding that pretending was useless, he reverted back to his normal voice. **"I swear, Naruto's never seen this woman before in his life."** C-Kurama told Raven. He might not always show it well, but he cared for the kid. So he decided to nip whatever this was in the bud.

"Oooh, sexy voice." Harley noted gleefully.

"Naruto?" Timmy asked timidly.

Ah crud, he'd forgotten about him. **"Sort of. I'll tell you later."** C-Kurama reassured the boy.

"Enough!" Red jerked him closer so that their faces were barely an inch apart. "I'll ask you one last time. What happened to Naruto?" Wow, she was pushy. He bet the original didn't have to deal with angry redheads.

C-Kurama decided to take a page from Naruto's book and answer honestly. **"Look lady, the kid's just fine. He just let me borrow his body for the day."** Seeing her visibly relaxed, he gave her a quizitive look. **"Why do you care about Naruto so much."**

She leaned back and smiled. "I've been feeling him for weeks. Every morning he connects with nature, with me. Even when he's separate, a part of him always stays with the Green." She gave him a look. "You can imagine my concern when it vanished to almost nothing." She shuddered. "Naruto's presence is… intoxicating. He will be a wonderful father for my babies."

Now, Poison Ivy was referring to her plants, but neither of her captives knew that. C-Kurama, knowing how she'd likely react, slowly turned his head to look at Raven. She'd gone stock still, but judging by the violent sparks of black power, she'd definitely heard her.

* * *

Honestly, things could have gone a whole lot worse. After Lust had finally caught him, (hey, he wasn't going to hit his girlfriend, even if it was just her emotion), she'd tied him up and… cuddled with him. Yep! The embodiment of his girlfriend's lust wanted to cuddle. Sure, she snuck several kisses, but it was far tamer than what he'd imagined. A part of him wondered if he should be disappointed, but Naruto buried the thought.

The emotion was happily using Naruto like an overgrown teddy bear beneath one of the smaller trees she suddenly stiffened. "That BITCH!" She roared, surging to her feet. "I'm going to rip her to shreds!"

In his restrained state, Naruto did what any sane man would do: he used his best imitation of an inch worm to crawl away from the furious woman. How did that even work? She was Lust. She wasn't supposed to get mad.

It was a valiant effort, but he wasn't fast enough to escape, and she grabbed him with her powers. Luckily for him, the moment she focused back on him, her primary personality somewhat reasserted herself. "Dear, I'm afraid I have to leave now. There's someone I have to kill." She said in a sweet voice. Somehow, that just made it worse.

She turned on her heal and strode towards the gate. "Wait! You're not actually going to kill anyone, right?" Naruto called after her. She didn't bother responding before she left his mindscape. Fortunately, with her gone, his restraints evaporated. He wasn't sure if she was being serious, but there was no way he was going to take that chance. He was a shinobi; he'd grown up around death, but Raven was a hero. If she did take a life, it could destroy her. Now, Naruto could have followed her, but there was no guarantee he could stop whatever was going on from there. So, he went to the person currently driving his body.

* * *

Kurama watched her read, fascinated. Sure, he knew theoretically there were female perverts, but he'd never actually seen one. Starfire sitting in Naruto's room, giggling up a storm over her orange book. Sweet Kami, she even had a nosebleed.

'_Kurama, get your butt back in here!_' He heard Naruto yell from the mindscape.

**'_Not now kit. I'm in the middle of something. Besides, the day's not over yet._' **What was Lust doing? She was supposed to keep Naruto busy. As long as she didn't take things too far, which he'd made her promise not to, then there was no way he'd have fought back.

'_I don't care! Something happened with Raven and I have to make sure she doesn't do something she'll regret!_'

Well, crap. If this was about Raven, then if he didn't give Naruto his body back, he'd just take it. Thinking quickly, he shut Starfire's book. "Hey!" She cried, indignantly.

**"Naruto's coming out. You should probably hide."** He barely waited for her to dive under the bed before he closed his eyes. He had maybe a few seconds before Naruto decided to take over by force. Besides, if something happened that his clone couldn't handle, then it was probably for the best to let him out.

* * *

**"Raven! Calm d-" **C-Kurama was cut off as the air around Raven literally exploded with black energy, blasting everything in a five-foot radius, including him and Ivy, flying. Using his, or inn this case Naruto's, impressive agility, he managed to land in his feet and skid to a stop. Remarkably, C-Kurama hadn't been damaged at all. In fact, aside from destroying his restraints and throwing him back, the blast hadn't affected him at all.

The same couldn't be said for the plant girl. Opposite the shallow crater centered around Raven, she knelt, breathing heavily. She was covered in light burn marks, and her hair was horribly singed. Still, she'd been lucky. From what C-Kurama had seen, she'd managed to erect a sort of plant barrier moments before being hit.

"Ivy!" Harley, who had been outside the blast radius with Timmy, cried. She rushed her, only to be blocked as a dome of energy appeared, cutting Raven and Ivy off from the rest of them. Harley drew a giant mallet from… somewhere and began beating on it. "Don't worry Red, I'm a comin'!"

C-Kurama almost laughed. He knew from Naruto's spars with her that her attempts were futile. Nothing short of a low-powered Rasenshuriken could get through a shield of that strength, and that was something C-Kurama wasn't about to do in a public place. Instead, he took the opportunity to help Timmy.

**"You ok squirt?" **He asked as he took him down from the tree.

Timmy patted himself down as if making sure he hadn't lost a limb. "I think so." He gave C-Kurama a funny look. "Was that lady telling the truth? You're not Naruto?"

C-Kurama sighed, then knelt so they were at eye level. **"It's complicated. See, this is his body, but I'm not him."** He paused, trying to think of how to explain it gently to the kid. **"I'm actually a giant fox monster who lives in his head. Since we're friends, he sometimes gives me control for a little bit." **Hey, no one said Kurama had much tack.

Maybe it was the fact that he was still just a child, or maybe he was just used to weirdness in this world of weird super-humans, aliens, and magic, but for whatever reason, Timmy took this in stride. "That's so cool! Are you the one who gave him his superpowers?!" He asked excitedly.

C-Kurama chucked. **"Some of them."**

"Awesome!" His excitement shifted to curiosity. "Hey, if you're not Naruto, then what's your name?"

C-Kurama's eyes widened. He hadn't been asked that in centuries, and he'd certainly never told anyone. Even Naruto had only learned his name from his brother Son Gokū. **"Kurama. My name is Kurama."**

Timmy grinned cheerfully and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you again Kurama!"

C-Kurama gave a genuine spill. **"Likewise kid."** He said, gripping his hand and giving it a firm shake. He let go, then paused when he sensed it. **"Oh, that's not good."**

"What?" Timmy asked.

**"You know how Naruto can make clones?"** Timmy nodded. **"Well, I forgot to mention that when I got Naruto's body, I could do that to. This," **He gestured to himself. **"Is a clone. Right now, the real me just gave Naruto control again, and from what I can tell, he should get here right about,"** A blur of orange streaked into the park to stop before them. There, framed by the lingering wisps of golden Chakra from where he'd just ended his Kurama Chakra Mode, was Naruto. **"Now."**

"What the hell is going on Kurama!?" Naruto asked.

C-Kurama stood. **"Language brat! There's a kid here." **He said, indicating Timmy.

Naruto gave C-Kurama an incredulous stare. "I don't care! Where's Raven!?"

C-Kurama jerked a thumb back to where Harley was still hammering away. "Where do you think? Your girlfriend just lost it against some plant girl named Ivy. Or maybe it was red."

"Her name's Poison Ivy. She can control plants and stuff." Timmy helpfully supplied.

C-Kurama ruffled his hair. **"Thanks kid."**

Inside Naruto's mindscape, the original Kurama could only stare in incomprehension. To repeat Naruto's earlier question, what the hell happened!

Naruto looked to be struggling between concern and relief. "Alright." HE said, heading to the dome.

As he did, Timmy turned to C-Kurama. "Are Naruto and Raven really dating?"

C-Kurama laughed. **"Oh yeah."**

* * *

Raven was mad. No, she was furious. This SLUT thought she could just come here and take Naruto? To force herself on him?! Well she though wrong. She sent a blast of energy at Ivy, which she skillfully dodged. The level of concentration to maintain the fifteen-foot barrier prevented her from doing anything fancy, but there was no way Raven was going to let this tramp escape. The glow from her shield, along with the light that managed to filter through, illuminated the treeless crater of an area in a greyish hue.

Ivy flung a handful of seeds in her direction and channeled her powers through the ground, causing a multitude of roots to erupt around Raven. Within seconds she was surrounded, dozens of sharp wooden tips pointed at her. "What's the matter sweetheart?" Poison Ivy taunted, though she was breathing pretty heavily and clutching her side. "Usually you hero types don't go for the kill." She said, indicating the smoking hole in the ground where Raven's attack had struck.

Her words cut through her rage, causing Raven's eyes to widen. Raven took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She couldn't afford to give into her anger, especially not now, when Trigon might try to take advantage of it. "If this is about Naruto, don't worry. I'll make sure to take _good_ care of him." Ivy continued in a sultry voice. Ok, screw staying calm. As long as she didn't kill Ivy, she could get a little mad.

The villainess waved her hand, and the spear-like roots rushed Raven. Raven crossed her arms above her head "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She cried and flung her hands down to create two sharp blades of magic that diced the roots in front of her in a scissoring motion. Rushed through the path she created, escaping impalement by mere inches. "You will do no such thing." Raven stated confidently.

"Oh really?" Poison Ivy laughed. "And who's going to stop me? You? I'm afraid you won't be able to do much of anything soon."

Raven tried to rush her, but her limbs felt sluggish, causing her to trip. She quickly rose to a knee and saw that the wood chips that had landed on her were growing at an alarming rate. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Ivy gloated as Raven staggered to her feet. "These take plant cuttings to a whole new level. Sadly, it comes at the cost of their beautiful greenery." She tutted sadly as she observed Raven, who's legs, left arm, and torso were almost completely encased in a hard bark-like substance. Her right arm fared only slightly better. "It's one of the things I hope my Naruto can help fix for me."

Raven felt a renewed surge of anger, and her eyes flashed ominously. "He's not '_your_' anything!" She denied.

"Oh, but he will be." The villainess said. In that short time, only Raven's head was left uncovered, and only for a few more seconds. "I'll make sure of that. He will be mine, forever." She finished as Raven's head was completely encased. Ivy nodded in satisfaction at the wooden figure. It looked almost like a wooden statue of Raven. Maybe Ivy should take up sculpting once she saved the earth. After taking a few seconds to admire her work, she began limping away. Any second now, the barrier should fall, and- *_Crack_* She spun back towards the trapped Titan. A small crack had formed at the eye. *_Crack_* Another, larger than the first, ripped across it, traveling from the left shoulder down towards her right hip. Ivy backed away from it. *_Snap_* *_Crackle_* *_Bang_* Several more appeared, glowing brightly along with the first. Then, it stopped. "Wha-?" In a burst of energy, the entire thing flew apart. Several pieces hit Ivy, one cutting her across the cheek.

"Let's get something straight." Raven's voice called from the smoke. She emerged, walking towards Ivy, full of determination. Despite her tattered clothes, she gave the appearance of ferocious grace.

"Stay back!" Ivy yelled, flinging her arms forward. Several root-spikes responded, shooting at Raven.

She swiped her hand before her, creating a black barrier that effortlessly deflected them. "Naruto is _not_ yours." Ivy shot more roots, all of which were deflected. They were all she had to work with in this limited area, Raven's initial explosion had blown all the original plant matter away. "He will _never_ be yours, or anyone's." As she approached, glowing image of a raven simmered faintly behind her. Ivy tried to retreat further, but found her feet caught. She looked down to find her feet encased in Raven's magic. "But he is my boyfriend, and I love him. And I _will_ protect him." As her power encased Ivy from the neck down, much like what had happened to Raven moments ago, she let the barrier drop around them. She reached Ivy and placed a glowing hand on her forehead. "And _you_ will not change that!" Poison Ivy's eyes widened, before they fluttered shut and her head dropped.

"Raven!" A familiar voice called. She spun, allowing Ivy to fall to the ground.

"Naruto!" She could feel that this wasn't Kurama, even if his impression had been spot on. He was there, running towards her, and she did the same, meeting him at the halfway.

"Are you ok?" He asked worriedly.

She pulled back with a smug smile. "I'm fine." She looked over his shoulder and saw Harley slumped on the ground. "I see you were busy."

He chuckled. "Nah, she was to busy hitting the wall to notice me sneak up on her." Naruto directed his attention to Ivy and saw her slumped on the ground. "Raven, did you…?" He trailed off.

"No." She answered his implied question. "She's just passed out."

He sighed in relief, probably more concerned about her mental state than the villainess on the ground. "Thank kami." He turned back to face her. "I missed you, you know" He said.

Raven flushed. "It hasn't even been a day."

"I know." Naruto leaned forward, as did she.

"I missed you too." She said, before they met in a passionate kiss. Both were oblivious to the flash of Timmy's phone, or the fist-bump he shared with C-Kurama.

* * *

**Authors Note: Don't worry, we ****haven't**** seen the last of Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn. They will return. _MUHAHAHA!_**


	11. Chapter 11 - May I Have Some Pie

**Authors Note: Besides "The End", this will be the last episode of season four shown. Sorry to everyone who wanted to see "Overdrive" or "Stranded". Don't worry though, this story is a long way from being over.**

**Quick question – How does everyone get to and from the tower? I've been glossing over it, but it's on an island. So how the heck does everyone get there and back? There has to be a way, because I don't think the T-Car or Robin's motorcycle have aquatic capabilities, and Beast-Boys moped certainly didn't. And I really don't think Robin or Cyborg want to be carried to and from by their teammates.**

**In this episode, Mother Mae-Eye, it deliberately shows her driving the car over the water with magic. What do they usually do?**

**Am I missing something, because I couldn't find any answers online?**

**Do I own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans? No. Do I wish I did? Yes, but I'd probably screw it up somehow. Anyways, on with the show!**

***_Background whispering._***

**'_Fine Larry! Why are you so nitpicky?'_**

**Sorry, on with the _story._**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

Deep within the bowels of the Earth, Slade stood before the menacing eyes of Trigon. **"You have failed me once more."**

Slade silently cursed Poison Ivy's foolishness. She was supposed to be smart, and he had been counting on that. Instead, she had let her emotions get the better of her, resulting in an absolutely pathetic performance. "Please, accept my humble apologies." He ground out. He _loathed_ groveling like this, but only Trigon could restore his body.

**"I should strike you down where you stand. I have no use for incompetence."** Slade discreetly moved his hand behind his back and fingered on one of two special rings he'd found, preparing for the worst. **"Still, I suppose your discovery merits _some_ lenience."**

Slade eyed the apparition wearily, unsure of what he was referring to.

* * *

"Ok, I'm done." Naruto said with finality as he set down his notepad. He'd just spent the past twenty minutes drawing every exposed inch of Raven's body in meticulous detail. No, not like that; he's not Jiraiya. While they deeply loved each other, they hadn't done anything more than making out with the occasional light petting. Well, that, and they usually slept together in one of their rooms. Right now, they were doing something a little more serious.

In the two weeks since Poison Ivy's capture, and especially after Cyborg's order of paper had arrived, Naruto's fūinjutsu studies had advanced by leaps and bounds. He wasn't close to his father's level yet, but he was definitely skilled in the art. As such, Naruto finally felt ready to try to decipher Trigon's markings. Raven had been able to manifest with unexpected ease, allowing Naruto to copy them down for study.

"I didn't think you even owned a bikini." He commented as Raven grabber her discarded clothes. Her simple black two-piece was surprisingly revealing, and it had been incredibly difficult to resist the urge to stare at her… assets, but he managed. Naruto had seen many female bodies before, both while perfecting his Oiroke no Jutsu and from Jiraiya's many attempts to convert him to the ways of the super pervert. To him though, her body out shown them all.

Raven sighed. "Starfire got it for me. I never thought I'd actually wear it." She waited a beat. "Are you going to turn around?"

"Oh!" Naruto quickly did so. "Sorry." Since his room didn't connect to the bathroom, she either changed here or walked down the hall dressed like that. Sure, she could have worn her cloak over the swimsuit, but it was easier to just do it here.

"You can look now." He turned again to see that she was back in her uniform. It wasn't the only thing she wore, but it was certainly what she was most comfortable in.

"So, did you… like it on me?" She asked, quickly bringing him back out of his thoughts.

"Of course." He said honestly. She looked stunning in it, and this had been one of the few times he'd seen that much of her. His felt his face warm as he remembered that time a week ago when, exhausted after a long fight against Plasmus, she'd collapsed in his bead in little more than a T-shirt and panties.

In a rare act of unconscious shyness, she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Then maybe I could wear it again sometime."

Naruto nodded vigorously. After all, what straight male would turn that down? "Yes. Totally. I mean, we do live on an island."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." She said playfully.

"Yeah. There's a great beach on the south side." He grinned. "We should check it out, just the two of us."

"Is this a date?" She asked coyly, approaching him. They'd spent a lot of time together, but with everything going on they hadn't been on an official date yet.

"And if I am?" He responded.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then I guess I'd have to say yes." They both leaned in, but before their lips made contact, the Tower's alert beeped urgently. "This better be important." She mumbled, a sentiment Naruto agreed with wholeheartedly.

* * *

Robin paced in front of the screen in ops. "Where's Cyborg?" He asked, irritated.

"He said he was going to get some doo-dad for that thing he's working on for Naruto." Beast-Boy supplied, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Ah yes, the project. Naruto didn't know exactly what it was, but it had something to do with his fūinjutsu. With his permission, Cyborg had scanned every scroll he had on fūinjutsu into his database, which had been helpfully translated by an army of clones. He'd also studied his Chakra six way to Sunday. This included Kurama's, whose recovery time had been drastically reduced after the two halves had finished balancing their Chakra. As of now, he could be back to full strength in as little as two weeks.

"Yo!" They turned to see Cyborg exiting the elevator. "Sorry I'm late, but I didn't want to risk ruining this puppy." He proudly presented his prize on the Ops table.

"You were late… for a pie?" Raven asked.

"Awesome!" Beast-Boy exclaimed. "What flavor is it?"

"Why don't you find out?" Cyborg offered. He hit a button, causing six slots in the table to open up and each dispense a set of plates and silverware

Robin developed a tic-mark "Excuse me, but can you do this later? This is extremely important."

"No, we can't. The pie's gonna' get cold. Whatever this is can wait a few minutes."

"You don't even know what it is!" Their leader snapped at him.

Cyborg cut each of them a slice. "Please, if this was urgent then you would've used the emergency alarm." He made a valid point. Cyborg grabbed a fork and took a bite. "Mmh, sho goo'!" He moaned. Naruto, Beast-Boy, and Starfire followed his example, and had similar reactions.

"Oh my Kami. Raven, you have to try this." Naruto said after swallowing. Tsunade and Sakura had been pretty good about beating table manners into him.

"It can't be that good." She looked over to Robin, only to see Starfire shove a fork-full into his mouth. After that, he grabbed his own plate and started eating despite his earlier protestations. "Ok, maybe it is." Raven conceded, and grabbed her own plate.

* * *

Naruto woke holding the familiar warmth of Raven. The bed was a bit harder than usual, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Suddenly, he heard a voice. "How did I…?" Why was Robin in his room? Naruto opened his eyes. Huh, apparently, they'd passed out in ops. At least he was still sleeping with Raven. "Hey! I'm hungry." Robin said, causing both Naruto's and Raven's stomachs to growl. He stood, helping Raven up as well. The others followed suit.

"Me too!" She said.

"Me three!" Beast-Boy added.

Cyborg got in his face. "ME FOUR!" He yelled.

"Me five!" Naruto said, joining in on the fun.

Starfire joined them. "But who is going to feed us?" She asked, sounding confused.

"Hello sweeties!" A voice called out. They turned to see a plump, kindly looking woman smiling kindly at them. She was dressed mostly in red, the only exceptions were her pink apron, the white around her shoulders, and the white bow on her hat. The hat was something else. It was easily twice as big as her head, and with its pink polka dots and general shape, Naruto of a mushroom from that go-kart game Beast-Boy had shown him. Which Naruto won, by the way. "Now that we've all had a nice nappy-wappy, what would my hungry little ones like to eat?"

"Pie!" Everyone said in turn, except for Cyborg, who yelled it.

Mother waved her spoon, and six perfect pies poofed into existence on the counter. The Titans hurried over, each claiming one for themselves. "Thank you Mother Mae-Eye!" They said in unison, before digging into their pies. Naruto barely restrained himself from just shoving his face into the delicacy. Mother's pies were easily the best thing he'd ever eaten.

Back in the Elemental Nations, dozens of his friends shuddered. It felt like something deeply fundamental had been messed with.

A brief flash of confusion shot through Naruto's mind, as if there was something wrong with that thought. He took another bite, and his confusion vanished.

As they chowed down, Mother's musical laughter rang through the room. "You're ever so welcome, my children. And remember, Mother loves you."

* * *

"Here comes the choo choo!" Raven said.

"Ahhhh." Naruto held his mouth open, allowing Raven to feed him a piece of pie. '_Delicious_' he thought, swallowing. He then cut a piece with his own fork.

"And now it's the airplane's turn." He cooed, and fed her his bite. As they sat on the floor, feeding each other with little regard to the mess on their faces, Cyborg chowed down on his own stack of pies beside them.

"These are Pie-licious!" He exclaimed through his mouthful.

"Of course they are." Naruto said, before Raven fed him again.

Since his mouth was full, she finished for him. "Mother bakes them with love."

"Now children," Mother said as she went to them. "eat as much as you like, but we mustn't be messy." When she tapped Cyborg on the head with her spoon, a bib reading 'I'm a Big Boy' appeared around his neck in a burst of sparkles. "And you two are getting crumblies all over your faces." Her spoon changed into a napkin, which she used to clean first Raven's, and then Naruto's, faces while they giggled. Then, her napkin changed back, and Mother waved it to create three new stacks of pies.

"Thanks Mother Mae-Eye!" They each said, before digging in again. Suddenly, Naruto paused. There was a faint banging sound, but he couldn't tell where it was coming from. After glancing around the room, he shrugged. It's probably just his imagination.

Sometime later, the emergency alarm sounded, bringing everyone to Ops. On the large display screen, the Hive symbol flashed on the map. "Trouble!" Robin declared, though his childish but neat hairdo lessened the impact. The team ran at the exit, only for Mother to appear in a puff of pink smoke, blocking their way.

"And just where do my sweeties think they're going?" She asked sweetly.

"On a mission." Robin told her. "We have to protect the city."

Mother Mae-Eye waved her hands in dismissal. "Goodness no. Too dangerous." She reached into her bag and pulled out a baby gate, extending it across the exit. "Mother does not approve. Besides, you don't really want to leave me, do you?"

That banging noise increased, and Naruto frowned. This wasn't right. He'd never let anyone stop him from helping people.

Robin's eyebrows furrowed in concentration "But... no one's ever stopped us from going on missions before."

"We've saved the city hundreds of times." Cyborg added.

"And you never..." Raven seemed to struggle with her words. "ugh...you were never..."

"Who wants pie?" Mother suddenly asked. She conjured six of the dishes above the Titans, allowing them to fall on their faces. While Naruto could have dodged, it looked so good that he just opened his mouth to accept it. However, that phantom racket suddenly increased tenfold and distracted him enough for the pie to splatter all over his face. Starfire suffered a similar fate, she was knocked to the floor. The others had no such issues, easily downing theirs' whole.

While Naruto whipped filling from his eyes, Starfire sat up with her Pie adorning her head. "No." She said. "Our mission!"

"Oh, very well." Mother conceded. "You can all go outside and play, but only once Mother says you're ready."

* * *

As they waited at the T-Car, Naruto tried to concentrate. Something wasn't right, and that noise just wouldn't stop. It sounded like someone was repeatedly slamming into a door, but no one else seemed to hear it. "Now let's see." He looked up as Mother tapped Starfire's head with her spoon, causing her magic to flow over her. "We'll need a woolly sweater in case Twinkle Star gets chilly." She said as her magic finished with Starfire, revealing her to be in a giant green sweater seemed that was fat too large for her, as the sleeves went well past her hands and the collar covered half her face. Beast-Boy laughed at her, only for the sparkles to fly to him next, putting him in pink bunny costume as Mother continued. "A cute bunny suitie so Beastie Boo doesn't have to change into all those ugly animals."

For some reason, Naruto felt apprehension when the light split, enveloping him and raven at the same time. "And pretty matching outfits for our cute little couple." Mother said as he watched as his clothing changed. First his comfortable sandals morphed into tall brown boots. Then, he was dressed in tight, burning yellow pants, as well as an equally eye-watering long sleeved collared shirt tucked into his belt. The entire thing was far too tight, and barely allowed Naruto to bend his joints.

His shirt had a fairly realistic stuffed hand, with Velcro on the palm, sewn onto sleeve cuff. It might have been good enough to fool people from a distance. However, the magic had neglected to fill the sleeve, which just left the fake hand to dangle uselessly. To top off the ensemble, a tall, wide brimmed yellow hat dropped on his head. It was ridiculously tall, with a black stripe running just above the brim. If he'd been familiar with this world's children's books, he might have compared himself to the Man in the Yellow hat from Curious George.

He looked over at his girlfriend to see that she was wearing a frilly dress of the same bright yellow, with her hair done up in twin pigtails.

He might have teased her for the ridiculous outfit, but Mother's next words drove all thoughts of humor from his mind. "Just because you're evil on the inside, doesn't mean you can't look pretty on the outside." While Raven giggled happily, Naruto felt something snap in his mind.

"Mother!" He shouted angrily. "How could you say that?!"

While his friends seemed shocked that he had the nerve to yell at her, Mother Mae-Eye blinked innocently. "Say what sweetie?"

"You- she- Raven's not Evil!" He managed. "She's not- You can't-" Mother, deciding enough was enough, thrust her spoon forward at lightning speeds, sending a large chunk of pie towards Naruto mouth. A split second before it passed through his lips, her form shimmered, revealing a grotesque green form beneath her kindly visage. In that moment, realized what was happening, but in his restrictive clothes, was unable to dodge in time.

* * *

As the Titan's approached the mall, several voices spoke in unison. "C'mon Jinx, what's the harm? It don't look like them Titans are a'comin."

They arrived at the entrance, where several villains ransacking the place, all of whom Naruto recognized from their files. Aren't shadow clones amazing? There was the hulking Mammoth, the kid genius Gizmo, the ocular powered See-More, the militant Captain Hive, and two others. Jinx, the pink-haired bad luck charm, was yelling at five identical copies of the same red-spandexed person. "Because Billy, this is _our_ robbery! You were the one who said you don't need a team! You can't just show up out of nowhere and…" She trailed off as they all caught sight of the heroes. "No. Way." She muttered in disbelief. After a moment of stunned silence, the six, (or ten, depending on how you look at it), villains burst into laughter. "HAHHAHAHAHA!" Gizmo, as well as the Billys, were literally rolling on the floor

"Nice ears!" Captain-Hive taunted

"Love the hair!" Jinx added.

"Who dressed you guys, your Mother?"

As Beast-Boy pulled on his ears in embarrassment and Robin seethed at the insult, Naruto had to give Gizmo points for accuracy. Not that he'd ever tell him that, it would be too embarrassing. As if she heard his thoughts, Mother herself pulled up across the street and called out: "Play nice, dears! Mother will be back to pick you up in twenty minutes." Well that's it. Here lies the dignity of the Teen Titan's. May it rest in peace.

Robin angrily ruffled his hair back into its usual style. "Titans, Go!" He ordered, charging the enemy with his team.

Jinx responded with a battle cry of her own. "Hive Five, eat them alive!"

Captain-Hive leapt from his Motorcycle, blocking Cyborg's sonic blasts with his shield. "Hope you're wearing your raincoat!" He quipped as he hurled his shield towards Cyborg.

Naruto reached for a kunai to knock it from the sky when a Billy blindsided him with an uppercut, sending him flying across the mall. He spun to land on his feet, but in the process wrapped his empty sleeve around his torso, which pinned his arm against his side. "Don't you forget about Billy Numerous!" Five voices called in sync. As they charged him, more Billy's poured out of the shops to join him, until there had to be around fifteen of them.

Naruto flexed his arm to free it, but the sleeve wouldn't budge; he couldn't even rip it. Oh well, he didn't need it for this guy. Time to show him who the real clone master was. He made the hand sign with his pinned hand, and with a cry of "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!", he created enough clones to match the novice, complete in their henged normal outfits. Take that you stupid suit. "Charge!" He yelled as the groups collided.

It should have been an easy victory. Emphasis on should. When he launched a flying kick at a Billy, he effortlessly sidestepped it. Naruto landed and immediately swept his leg up and around at his head, but Billy simply leaned to the side and _caught_ it. "That ain't gonna fly Cowboy!" He taunted. Billy twisted and _threw_ Naruto away. It wasn't a weak throw either. For the second time that day, Naruto went flying through the air, crashing into a clothes store on the second story.

As Naruto stood and shook off the bikinis, (of course they were bikinis), his mind raced at a mile a minute. Whoever this was, it wasn't Billy Numerous. From the video's he'd seen, his only asset was his duplication powers. That was it. But this guy was different. He clearly had augmented strength, and from the looks of it, martial arts training.

Naruto winced as he received a rush of memories from a clone. '_What the hell?_' None of his clones could land a single hit on them! They just kept dodging, as if they knew where every attack was coming from.

Suddenly, Naruto felt a presence behind him. He tensed to lash out, but he was too late. Whoever it was tackled him to the ground, pinning him on his stomach. The red glove by his face told him exactly who it was. The fake Billy.

* * *

From within the eye-bubble See-More had trapped her in, Starfire watched as Mammoth gave Robin the wedgie of his life. Her wince of sympathy was interrupted when Naruto landed headfirst in front of her, cracking the pavement. Despite knowing that her friend was stronger, it must have been enough to momentarily knock him out because all of his clones suddenly dispersed. Fortunately for him, Mammoth was kind enough to wake him up… by pelting him with Robin. As the duo staggered to their feet, the rest of their team joined them. It wasn't by choice, seeing as the Hive and ten plus Billys had them surrounded.

"Uh, you think they'd let us call time out?" Beast-Boy asked hopefully.

No, Starfire did not think they would. "These children deserve more than a time out!" She heard, and looked up in surprise to see Mother flying towards them on a cloud of pink magic. "They need a good sound spanking!" She hurtled into the group of Billy's and sent them flying like bowling pens, then proceeded to attack the Hive Five with her purse. It was surprisingly effective; each time Mother swung her purse, another bag guy fell. However, when she went after Mammoth, he was knocked back into Starfire's bubble with enough force to send her flying at a light post, breaking the top off. The bubble popped in a deluge of blue liquid and Starfire fell to the ground, only for the broken post to fall on her head.

Disoriented by the blow, she only vaguely registered their enemy's retreat. "Oh dear." She raised her head to look at Mother's blurry form. "Did Twinkle Star get a boo-boo on her noggin?" Her vision cleared, but Mother… changed. "Don't cry sweetie," Starfire gasped in fright at her new appearance. No longer was she the kind woman that took care of them. Instead, a three eyed, molted green skinned witch stood before here. "Mother's here." She leaned closer, and Starfire had to resist the urge to flee. "Mother will always be here."

Mae-Eye placed a kiss atop her head, causing Starfire to freeze. Her eyes darted to her friends in panic, searching for help. Why did they not help her? Could they not see that Mae-Eye for who she truly was? "All better now." Mae-Eye said, her voice deeper now. She then pulled Starfire to her feet. "Upsidaisy." Starfire's friends were still not helping her, choosing instead to stare at the ground in disappointment, even friend Robin. Why? What foul sorcery had this witch used on Starfire's friends.

"Aww, don't look so down sweeties. Mother brought you all pie." Starfire's eyes widened in realization as one appeared in everyone's hands. The Pie! She must be controlling them with it! She couldn't let her friends… No! They were already eating it. Thinking quickly, she shoveled it into the nearest trashcan while Mae-Eye wasn't looking. She'd have to pretend to still be under the witch's spell so she could save her friends. However, as she turned to rejoin the group, her vision shifted, and she found herself in a dark room. Before she could scream, a hand clamped down on her mouth.


	12. Chapter 12 - May I Have My Friends Back

**Authors Note: I've been a little iffy on my uploads, so I thought I would double post as an apology. Especially since they're both part of the same episode.**

**In response to some reviews: Have a little faith. I know that Kurama makes Naruto immune to illusions. It's explained in this chapter.**

**I don't own the rights to Naruto or Teen Titans.**

"English"

"Elemental (Language of the Elemental Nations) – Similar to Japanese"

'_thinking/talking telepathically_'

**"Biju/Demon Talking"**

**_'Biju/Demon thinking/talking telepathically'_**

* * *

"Just because you're evil on the inside, doesn't mean you can't look pretty on the outside." Mother said, pinching Raven's cheek. While Raven giggled happily, Naruto felt something snap in his mind.

"Mother!" He shouted angrily. "How could you say that?!"

Mother Mae-Eye blinked innocently. "Say what sweetie?"

"You- she- Raven's not Evil!" He managed. "She's not- You can't-" Mother, deciding enough was enough, thrust her spoon forward at lightning speeds, sending a large chunk of pie towards Naruto mouth. A split second before it passed through his lips, her form shimmered, revealing a grotesque green form beneath her kindly visage. In that moment, realized what was happening. She wasn't his mother, Kushina was! How dare she claim otherwise? She was using some sort of mind control on them, and he'd bet anything it had something to do with the pie.

He knew that, in these restrictive clothes, he would be unable to dodge in time. But there was something he could do; something he'd mastered to a degree no one else had. It was close, but he managed to pull it off right before he swallowed the foul food.

* * *

"Is everyone ready?" Mae-Eye asked.

"Yes Mother." The six Titans answered happily.

A flash of pink light transported everyone into the T-Car, with Mae-Eye at the wheel. Suddenly, the car started floating on a cloud of pink magic. "Weeeee!" She squealed as they flew out of the tower.

Back where the T-Car had been parked, the magic cleared, revealing someone laying on the floor. *_Cough* *Cough*_ "Note to self: Do not breath in mysterious pink smoke." The figure said, sitting up. '_Kurama, what the hell is going on? _' C-Naruto thought. In Naruto's moment of clarity, hecreated a shadow clone hidden under the T-Car. The clone had remained hidden because he had no way of knowing how strong Mae-Eye's hold on the Titans was. What he did know was that she'd controlled him despite Kurama's presence, which should have made him immune to any form of mind-control. If he had to fight her, the boss, and his friends, he would lose. '_Kurama?_' He asked again. The only response was that banging sound. With a sigh, C-Naruto entered his mindscape. "Are you… ok…?" He trailed off.

Before him stood a giant gingerbread dog kennel, with the door made of vertical candy cane bars spaced maybe a foot apart from each other. Kurama, the mightiest of Bijuu, had been stuffed inside the cramped space like a misbehaving puppy. He even had a black licorice muzzle. The most amazing thing though was that his fur was styled like a poodle's. "Phffff-" C-Kurama growled in warning, and Naruto tried to contain his laughter. "Are you- heh- are you okay there buddy?" C-Naruto asked as he approached the cage, only somewhat successful at masking his mirth. C-Kurama's only response was to growl louder, but he got the message. "Right, stupid question. Just- heh -just hang on. I'll get you out of the-" He snorted,"-candy." He walked to the side of the kennel to find that there was no latch. Instead, it was the remains of Kurama's original seal. As soon as he unlocked it, the door swung open.

Watching him wiggle out of his tight cage was funny enough, but when he pulled himself completely free to reveal that nine frilly pink bows adorned the tips of his tails, Naruto absolutely lost it. "HAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Now that he could properly move his arms, C-Kurama angrily ripped off his muzzle. "**I'm going _destroy_ that bitch!**" he roared. **"She thought she could trap and humiliate ME! Well, she has another thing coming!" **His roar would have been intimidating... if he didn't look like he was about to enter a dog show.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" C-Naruto continued.

**"SHUT UP BRAT!" **He didn't. It took him about five minutes (two seconds in the real world), and much shouting to calm down. **"Are you done?" **C-Kurama asked, his curls and bows now gone.

"Yeah, I think I am." C-Naruto said, getting up.

**"Finally!**

"Now what happened to you? How did Mae-Eye trap you?" C-Naruto asked.

He growled. **"When you first ate that horrible pie, I was… not prepared-"**

"Sleeping." C-Naruto supplied.

C-Kurama ignored him. **"\- And before I could snap you out of it, she'd already made you reactivate the seal, which she then reinforced with her own magic. And then she had the audacity to muzzle me! The only thing I could do was ram the doors to get your attention! Which, I might add, you completely missed."**

"Heh, sorry."

**"Whatever, it's over. If you want to make it up to me, then use my power to go kill the witch. I don't care that we've been saving it; I will not stand for this humiliation! With my original still locked up, Naruto won't be able to stop you."**

C-Naruto shook his head. "It won't work. Boss might just dispel me before we can do it. Besides, we don't kill anyone unless we have to."

**"Then what do you suggest? Because Mae-Eye is _not_ going to get away with this."**

C-Naruto sat down to think. Only Boss shared the link with Raven, so that wasn't an option. Dispelling himself wouldn't work, it was clear the pies affected memory. What he needed was a way to talk to Boss without him knowing it was him, so that he could have time to talk some sense into him without being dispelled. C-Naruto snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"

* * *

C-Naruto exited Kurama Chakra Mode as he landed on the Mall roof, catching sight of the T-Car in the distance. '_Good. We beat them here._' He thought, sitting down.

**'_This is stupid. It will never work._'** C-Kurama noted.

C-Naruto became completely still as he prepared to enter Sage-Mode. With all his practice since arriving her, he could gather enough Natural energy within ten seconds, even without Kurama's help. '_Of course it will._' As he gathered Natural Energy, he frowned. '_Kurama, do you feel that?_' C-Naruto asked after he completed the process.

**'_I do, but you can't worry about it now. You're running out of time._'**

He knew the Bijuu was right, the Titans were almost here. Still, it didn't mean he liked it. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." He said, creating fifteen clones. Then, everyone henged into someone C-Naruto knew was associated with the Hive but was currently absent: Billy Numerous. Due to his ability, Naruto had paid closer attention to him than most villains. I mean, come on! The dude ripped him off. As such, he was pretty sure he could impersonate him well enough. "You guys know what to do." They all nodded and jumped through the open ceiling to the mall courtyard. Five went directly to Jinx while the rest scattered into various stores on the first floor. As for C-Naruto, he snuck into an abandoned clothing store on the second floor and hid. The lights were off and the windows were tented, so no one was likely to see him,

The plan was simple. As long as the other clones didn't let boss enter Sage Mode, they would have the upper hand. Then, all they had to do was goad him into creating his own clones before throwing Boss to him. From there, he'd snap Naruto out of Mae-Eye's control.

While he waited, he thought about what he'd felt. Something was polluting the world's Natural Energy. This wasn't from car emissions or landscaping or anything like that. No, it was a faint, almost undetectable trace of demonic energy. It wasn't like Kurama's purified Chakra, or even his hateful Chakra from before they had become friends. This… this was pure evil. Thankfully, between small amount of it and his training with Kurama's Chakra, especially at the falls of truth, he'd been able to purify what he'd absorbed with relative ease.

His contemplations were cut off as Boss came flying through the open door, crashing into a rack of bikinis. Seriously, bikinis? He shook his head. '_Focus._' As soon as Boss stood up, C-Naruto tacked him to the ground and pinned him there with his superior strength by pressing his forearm against his neck. Luckily his arm was tied up by that ridiculous outfit Mae-Eye put them in. He had to wonder why Naruto hadn't just henged out of it.

"Who are you?" Boss ground from beneath him. "You aren't Billy."

"Well, aren't you the smart one." C-Naruto said, still using Billy's accent. '_Now Kurama!_'

**'_On it!_'**

The original gasped as C-Kurama channeled his energy into him, disrupting his Chakra network. "Ugh." He groaned

'_Did it work?_' C-Naruto wondered. "Are you back boss?" If he wasn't, he had a very small window to knock him out and try again before he was dispelled.

"Yeah, I'm ok. Now, can you please get off me?" C-Naruto sighed in relief and did so. "Thanks for the save. Now-" Boss winced. "What is that banging! It won't shut up!"

C-Naruto grinned. "Oh, that's probably Kurama. I'd go let him out if I were you."

"Let him out?" He asked in confusion.

"You have to see it for yourself."

The original still looked confused, but complied and closed his eyes. Seconds later, he opened them and doubled over. "Sweet Kami! That's the best thing I've ever seen!" He got out through his laughter.

"I know right?" They both ignored the growls of their respective tenants.

"Anyway," Boss said as he calmed down. "Let's go free our friends."

C-Naruto froze mid-nod. "Too late," he said, dropping his henge to reveal that he was still in Sage-Mode. "Mae-Eye's on her way, and she's not happy."

They both frowned in thought. Going against an enemy who they knew could manipulate reality on a whim wasn't something they wanted to do while their friends were in the way. Suddenly, the original's eyes lit up. "Ok. Here's what we're going to do."

* * *

As soon as his clone hit the pavement, Naruto dispelled all of the non-Billy clones. With his Sage strength, C-Naruto had been able to rip that cursed suit off him. Fortunately, he still had his normal clothes on underneath it, though he was stuck with the boots until he got his sandals back. C-Naruto then henged to look exactly as Naruto had, including hiding his Sage-Mode. After that, it was a simple matter for Naruto to throw him out the door, and Naruto was free.

He may have thrown him a bit too hard, but C-Naruto had endured thanks to his increased durability. He watched through the tinted windows Mother swooped in and abslutely wreck the Hive Five, which Naruto found hilarious. At least he did, until his Billy clones dispelled once out of sight.

'_This is bad._' Naruto thought as he received their memories, as well as their Sage Chakra. '_This had to be Trigon, right?_' He'd only met the demon in Raven's visions, but the pollution felt similar enough to Slade's power that Naruto was confident in his assumption.

**'_Probably. Look kid, for now, focus on saving your friends. We can deal with this later._'**

'_I know, it's just-'_ He stopped when he noticed the fear on Starfire's face as Mae-Eye kissed her head. '_Does she know?_' Naruto wondered.

**'_We're about to find out_' **Kurama said as Mae-Eye

They watched was Mae-Eye gave everyone a pie. Everyone but Starfire ate theirs, including C-Naruto and Raven. Now that his Kurama was prepared, C-Naruto was protected. As for Raven, Naruto had already tried to talk to her through their link, but to no avail. Kurama couldn't send chakra through the gate, and Naruto couldn't get close to it without being affected himself.

Starfire, though, didn't eat hers. Instead, she snuck over to the nearest trash can and threw it away. Thinking quickly, Naruto created another clone. It didn't wait for orders, immediately Henging into Starfire and substituting with her before anyone looked in her direction. He immediately clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from giving them away. "Stay calm. It's just me. Naruto." He whispered and was relieved when he saw the tension leave her. "I'm going to take my hand away now. Please don't yell." She nodded, and he did so.

"Friend Naruto?" She asked quietly as she turned to face him. "What are doing?"

"I'm saving you from Mother Mae-Eye." He gestured towards the window, where the six Titans, two of whom were clones, entered the T-Car and drove off. "Now we have to figure out have to save everyone else."

Starfire eyed him. "So you also know that the Mother Mae-Eye is not really our mother, but an evil witch that invaded our home and stolen our boogers and special books with the help of her enchanted pie?"

"Yep!"

"Phew." She sighed in relief.

That relief, however, was short lived. "What 'special books'?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing!" She said hastily.

Naruto considered her before shrugging it off. Knowing Starfire, she was just overreacting. For reasons that alluded Naruto, Kurama found this hilarious.

* * *

As Mae-Eye left the room, or in this case giant oven, C-Naruto had to wonder what her game was. So far, all Mae-Eye had done was feed them pie, and now she was tucking all of them into a giant pie-pan bed together. At least her nickname for him was Naru-berry, and not fishcake.

He nodded at fake-Starfire, and they each created a clone. Moving quietly so as to not wake them up, they each placed a hand over a Titan's and pulsed Kurama's Chakra. As they did so, all four had the same thought. '_I really hope Raven doesn't think we put her in that dress._'

* * *

"You know, I've seen a lot of crazy things, but this has got to be in the top ten." Naruto whispered to Starfire, who holding him by his hands. Titans Tower had been, for lack of a better term, candyfied. The island was made up of some sort of solid cotton candy, the trees were lollypops, and the tower was one giant gingerbread house. They were floating up against the ceiling, which had to be at least ten times its normal height, looking down at the kitchen.

They watched the giant Mae-Eye roll out an equally giant chunk of dough as she, like so many bad guys before her, explained her evil plan. "Love, love, love. I love love. Love keeps children close, and love keeps Mother strong." Naruto shuddered at her creepy laugh. "And now that they couldn't possibly love me more, I can extract all their sweet, nourishing affection by baking them with love." She laughed again, only this time with more crazy thrown into it.

"What are we waiting for?" Starfire whispered urgently. "We must free out friends!"

Naruto received a rush of memories and looked at her with his toad-like eyes. With whatever Trigon was up to, he didn't want to use Kurama's chakra unless he had to. Kurama had reluctantly agreed, as long as he promised to make her hurt. Naruto had no problem with that. She'd both insulted Raven and impersonated his mother. "Don't worry. They should be escaping right about…" The oven grate was crushed by a burst of black energy, before it shot out like a cannon and hit Mae-Eye in the back of the head.

"Hey!" She shouted.

"Now." Naruto finished in his normal voice. Starfire nodded, and hurled him down with all her strength.

"Who threw that?!" Mae-Eye shouted as she rounded on the oven, to see the four Titans standing there in all their glory. "Why I ought to- ARG!" She was cut off when Naruto slammed his heal down on her head.

"Take a nap!" Naruto shouted, flipping to his friends while she staggered back. "Hey guys." He greeted as Starfire joined them.

"YOU LITTLE BRATS!" Mae-Eye shouted. They all looked up to see her pointing her ominously glowing spoon at them.

"Titans! Go!" Robin ordered. They scattered, just barely avoiding the pink beam that shattered the oven.

Beast-Boy morphed into a Pterodactyl and flew right in her face. "No pets in the house!" She swung her spoon at him, which turned into a flyswatter. However, Beast-Boy was able to change into a hummingbird and fly through one of the holes. Instead of attacking her though, he flew over her head. While she was distracted, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg launched a barrage of attacks at her, driving her back. "That's no way to treat your mother!" She demanded and swung her reformed spoon towards them, sending an arc of pink magic at them, forcing them to dodge.

She was still backpedaling though, and stepped right where Robin threw down several ice pellets. "Ahh!" Mae-Eye cried as she slipped. As soon as she began her decent, the Titans got out of there. Up on the massive table, three Naruto's stood, supporting a giant screeching orb of energy, bordered by four large blades of wind. "Ōdama Rasenshuriken!" They yelled in sync as threw the attack at her. As soon as it got close, four purple walls of energy burst into existence, trapping her with it.

"Noooo!" Mae-Eye screeched in pain as the attack hit her and expanded in a giant dome of countless microscopic blades of wind. The barrier bulged, but the four clones maintaining the Shishienjin held strong.

Eventually, the light faded, revealing a swirling cloud of pink smoke. "Dudes, I don't think it's over!" Beast-Boy warned.

Indeed, as the smoke began to coalesce within the barrier, which the clone thankfully hadn't released yet, Mae-Eye's voice echoed around the room. "_It will never be over children. Mother will always be here for you._"

When Naruto jumped down to join the others on the floor, Robin pounded his fist against his hand. "We need a new plan. Naruto, how long will the barrier hold?"

He shrugged. "I have no idea. If they were proper sealing tags, Kurama and I could keep it going indefinitely, but since all of my ink was turned into Chakra-conducting icing, it could fail at any time.

"I don't even know how we got into this mess." Cyborg said.

"It was that pie you brought us last night." Naruto told him. "According to Kurama, we released her when we ate it."

"Cyborg?" Robin asked slowly. "Where did you get that pie?"

"I was walking past a dark alley last night, and there was this weird, old gypsy who says, '_Mystical items at reasonable prices.'_ So I'm like, 'Cool! What should I get? Brain in a jar? Monkey's paw? Ooh, pie!'" Everyone stared at him in disbelief. He shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Robin looked over the group "All right, Titans. We know how Mother Mae-Eye got into our we need to think of a way to get her out."

Naruto was contemplating actually using Kurama's help, much to his glee, when Beast-Boy spoke. "How? It's not like we can stuff her back into a pie."

Robin smiled. "That's _exactly_ what we'll do."

* * *

"I see it!" Beast-Boy yelled. Everyone followed his gaze to where Mae-Eye's wooden spoon had just reformed. Unfortunately, the rest of her had almost finished as well.

"Starfire, go!" Robin ordered. She nodded and flew along the ground at top speeds towards the barrier. Right when she was about to hit it, the clones holding it released it, allowing it to drop. She snatched the spoon and flew it over to the other side of the kitchen, where Raven had a giant pie suspended in midair.

But the barrier wasn't closing, and the pink ghostly form of Mae-Eye began to move after her. "Narutos, close the barrier!" Robin ordered.

"It's not working!" C1-Naruto yelled, gesturing to the blackened icing on the floor. "The release fried it!"

"_Don't do it Sweetie! Just give Mother back her spoon!_" Her voice echoed throughout the room.

"You are not our mother!" Starfire shouted, and plunged the spoon into giant pie.

"_NOOOO!"_ Mae-Eye shrieked. Everything under her influence started spiraling towards the pastry, from the gingerbread walls to the oven, and even herself. "_NOBODY LOVES ME!_" She got out, before she was completely sucked in.

* * *

"So… she's trapped in the pie?" Beast-Boy asked as they all crowded around the normal sized pastry in ops.

Raven gave a noncommittal shrug. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"And what are we to do with this evil confection?" Starfire questioned, concerned.

"We could eat it." Cyborg suggested. Everyone glared at him. "I'm just kidding!" He sniffed. "Mostly."

Robin grew a devious grin. "I have a better idea." He laid out his plan, but Naruto wasn't listening. Instead, he was focusing on the Natural energy around them. That Demonic energy… it had grown stronger. Not a lot, but it was definitely noticeable. And, now that he could feel more of it, he noticed that it wasn't trying to corrupt the everything. Instead, it was almost as if it was only attached to a part of the Earth's Natural Energy. It certainly wasn't here yesterday. Yesterday, when Robin wanted to tell them something important. Yesterday, when… a sinking feeling grew in his gut as everything clicked into place.

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to the present. "Naruto, what's wrong?"

Naruto was about to tell her, when the sound of a bell rung over the speaker system. "Is that... a doorbell? We have a doorbell?" Beast-Boy asked.

"Of course we do." Cyborg hit several buttons on his arm monitor. "It's just no one ever uses it. Now let's see who's come to visit." The large monitor blinked to life, and everyone was left speechless as they saw who was at their front door.

There, ringing the Teen Titans doorbell, was none other than Harley Quinn. "Hey! Anyone home? I hope your creepy candy-land party's over, 'cause we've gotta talk!"

* * *

**Authors Note: It begins.**


End file.
